The Guild: A Hunt for Freedom
by Wood Dog
Summary: If you are ever going to end up at the top of the hunting heap, you must first make friends with your fellow hunters... Too bad they are so hard to understand! So join us at The Guild and follow the adventures of Max and his friends as they take on the beautiful world of Monster Hunter! We at the Guild look forward to your future patronage!
1. A Present for the Armorer

**Author's note: **I'd like to leave a small note up here dedicated to **The Unknowing Herald** for his help with this first chapter of mine. Thanks bro!

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Once upon a time, in the hunting village of Pokke.

Pokke Village has been through some of the biggest crisis the world has ever seen. It has been subject to attacks from numerous monsters throughout its long existence yet, despite being the small village it is, it is also a very brave one. It has repelled every attack from its predatory neighbors and it has even developed a means of fighting back, a Hunter's Guild.

Hunters are prepared and equipped to face any natural threats be them the fauna or the elements. It is the dream of every child or teen to become one and fight to defend his or her village and this is especially true in Pokke where all but the merchants, Guild Knights and Hunters are allowed to leave the village at night and, even then, daylight walks are also restricted (though with smaller restraints).

Rick is a middle-aged man from the Minegarde Capitol who has become a veteran hunter in this small village. Rick has a family to protect too and part of this duty involves not allowing his son become a hunter like him. Unfortunately, Rick is currently not in the village right now due to an urgent mission given to him by the village Elder herself (or Granny as everyone calls her) so, sadly, he shouldn't be present in the 16th birthday of Max, his son.

And so I introduce you to our 'protagonist', for lack of a better word, who will act as our eyes and ears in this story I wish to tell you.

Max is, as I've mentioned previously, young. He has spent his short life in the Furahiya Mountains, surrounded by nature and beauty that he has never really seen since he was never really 'out there' in the wild. He has learned how to hunt, sure, but he has never seen the sea or the beach. He also has never ventured beyond the limits of his birthplace more than 5 meters. He is stuck, imprisoned by an easy life, working the fields he will die on and there is nothing in the world that can hold him down much longer. He is determined to become a hunter, yes, but there is one last wall blocking his path. His parents.

And this is where our story starts.

"So, sixteen already, huh? Time really does go by fast… You were just a boy not too long ago. I wonder how much longer until my hair starts graying…" said Max's mother, Jeanne.

"Relax, Mom. It's tomorrow, remember? And you're not THAT old either, I bet you're still young enough to make every husband in the village jealous of Dad so don't think about it, OK?"

It was true, Jeanne was indeed a charming young mother and she was also the kindest of souls, to boot. She may have had a child quite soon for her age at the time but it was hardly noticeable. Her slender body had been kept in shape by the hardships of having to raise a child on her own, with the obvious exception of her ever-absent husband (a hard-worker as well). Her green eyes had seen a lot, most of it reminiscent of her years as a nurse and a smaller part of it from her years married to Rick too. Her hair was just as beautiful if not as interesting as her eyes, it was a golden river of long, straight hair, shining in the afternoon sun. She was personally proud of it, and rightfully so.

"I know dear, I was just teasing you. It's just that I never thought you'd turn 16 this quickly." She looked at her son. He looked just like his father in his youth. Max had the same brown mane his father called hair and the same facial features too. With the same slim body and long arms and legs and even the same fingers, Max stood taller than most boys his age. She thought he was a beautiful young boy but so did every loving mother when asked about the appearance of their own children. "You look like your father." She admitted. "Except your eyes, he's never had anyone in his family with your eye color." Hazel brown. Not a very extraordinary eye color but apparently it was quite uncommon in the Minegarde Capitol. His mother must've been the one to give him that one feature since she had brown eyes like his in her family.

"I know. Didn't you want me to deliver something to Lucia's dad?"

She staggered for a moment, remembering why she had called him to the house's kitchen. "Oh, right! I wanted you to take these Kelbi horns to him since your father forgot to do it before he left. Tell him it's a gift from Dad."

"Right." Max took the carefully wrapped gift in between his hands before storing it in his front pocket. He then turned to the door down the hallway but, before he could take another step, he felt he had to ask his mother one more question.

"Mom, do you think Dad will make it in time? He's been away from home for 3 days now and he said it wasn't going to be a very tough mission. He should be home by now."

She ignored his question, seeming too distracted with her cooking to answer him but, in the truth, she too knew Rick was a good hunter, he wouldn't miss his son's coming of age birthday for nothing in this world and yet she also knew that his latest Quest was nowhere near as simple as he had made it seem to his son. Max was waiting for an answer but he soon realized she mustn't have heard him. "_No problem_" he thought, he'd ask her again once he got back. And so he left.

It was warm outside, warmer than he was used to, even in spring. Maybe it was a sign of an early summer or a coming storm, filling the air with a different kind of warmth. Either way, he liked both possibilities. Lightning storms were his favorite weather.

He climbed down the small ledge next to the entrance to his house, down onto the street.

Pokke Village was a small agricultural village in the Furahiya Mountains, near the Snowy Mountains. It was a very profitable village, with plenty of resources, usually filled with visitors from other towns. Unfortunately, any would-be new villagers would have to share these riches with monsters native to the land, such as Giadrome, Blangonga, Bulldrome and even the ferocious Tigrex, hence the need for a strong Hunter's Guild.

Similar in structure to that of other villages, Pokke Village consisted of an armory and blacksmith shop, a general store next to it and a large farm down by the river that hunters could work on for resources and food. Near the pathway out of the village was the village's landmark, a huge boulder-like chunk of machalite ore, and standing by a campfire next to it was, as usual, the village's Chief, an extremely short and elderly woman who the locals affectionately referred to as "Granny".

Amongst other places of importance within Pokke Village was the Training School, where rookies would familiarize themselves with the native mountains, the wide range of weaponry, and the many monsters that roam the land. Inside the school, a large research facility had been built in recent years to aid the Guild's forces with scientific projects and experiments.

And last but not least, was the Guild Hall, which stood out as the biggest building in Pokke Village, located right next to the Training School, where hunters could choose to take on either solo or team quests. To assist any of the newcomers, there were 3 staff members who would supply hunters with different ranked quest contracts for the different Hunter Ranks.

Max's house was not too far from the blacksmith's shop, some 40 meters at best, so he was sure to be back before dinner was ready. As he approached the shop he saw two teens, a green haired girl and a taller, slightly older looking, brown haired boy (not much older than Max himself though) running past him towards the Guild Hall at the edge of the village.

Then Max heard the smithy's loud, booming voice shout, "Heyas! Max! How're you doing my boy? It won't be much longer before I start calling you 'Sir' now will it?" Max turned to him and approached him, package in hand. "No it won't, mister Fergusson. It's tomorrow."

"Tomorrow, eh? And when are you bringing a lass home? You know, I started dating Lucia's mother when I was your age and though, as you know, marriage can sometimes be a bit of a gilded cage, it has a ton o' benefits."

Max couldn't help but smile at the smithy's statement. He was always the funniest member in the village community, even in the village meetings. Max was fond of his 'always up, never down' motto.

"Just now I saw that young girl come here, asking me to repair her a dagger she needed for the Hunter Exam this Saturday. Thing is, she didn't have the money for it. Next thing I know, the poor girl breaks down in tears right here, in front of the shop!"

"What? But why? I know the Exam's a bit hard but couldn't she take another dagger? Or maybe buy a cheaper one from your shop?" '_A hunter's weapon is a hunter's soul, given form_' is what Rick would always say regarding hunter equipment. And yet, the girl's reaction sounded a bit off… or could it be something else? Maybe it was more than just a dagger to her…

Ferguson seemed to agree, as he then suggested, "You know boy, perhaps it was the last dagger she had. And I don't think she had the money to buy another one either… With no money and no weapon to sustain her hunts, how could she make a living? But enough o' that, the point of the matter is, as soon as she fell down on her knees right here, her gentleman of a boyfriend showed up with a big bag o' zeni, ready to pay for the repair! If that ain't a heart melter then I don't know what is!" He then turned, pointing his gloved finger at Max when he finally noticed the small package in Max's hands. His bearded face then seemed to shrink into a small brush as he leaned forward, trying to make out what it was.

"Wha's this?" he asked, unsure of the safety of its contents as he took it from Max's hands with overly careful gestures.

"It's a gift. Dad wanted to deliver it before he left for his quest but he forgot to bring it here. So Mom told me to bring it here." The smithy's face suddenly went very somber. He seemed to have something on his mind.

He then started unwrapping the Kelbi horns very slowly and, as he finally saw them, his already gloomy face got even darker. He whispered as if talking to himself, "I know what this is. I know why he sent it."

Then, as if noticing the boy's curious face for the first time, he swallowed hard, coughed loudly and put the gift aside, hidden from sight. He smiled then, as if upon waking to find a wonderful morning just outside his house. He said, "Tell me, huh, Max. How old are you right now?"

That was a sudden shift. He hadn't heard everything the smithy had muttered to himself but he was sure he was hiding something. "I'm 15 right now though I'll be 16 tomorrow. Did you like your present, Mr. Fergusson?"

"Oh yeah, yeah I did! He knows I've been running low on these so he must've grabbed some on his last excursion. It's just that I keep forgetting just how fast you kids grow now!" True, it wasn't more than 5 minutes ago that Max's mother had said the same thing. Maybe Max was just overthinking things. After all, it wasn't like the smithy to hide anything from him or anyone else in the village since he was generally honest with all matters that concerned him. "You know, you could become a hunter just like your father couldn't you?"

Max took a deep breath. He had had this conversation with his father many times in the past. Sadly, he had never managed to convince his parents to let him become a hunter. "Mom and Dad won't let me. They say it's too dangerous… I keep telling them it's my dream but they don't even give me a chance. Dad taught me how to hunt but he won't let me do it no matter how much I beg him! What did he give me all that training for anyway then? Didn't I prove myself to him already?!" He realized he was shouting and people were starting to stare now. He needed to calm down now. There was no use yelling at Fergusson.

"That's a shame it's what it is… You would make a fine hunter. My Lucia wants to enroll too but I can't bring myself to stop her. She says she doesn't want to be like her older siblings. Merchants the both of 'em." Said Fergusson, thinking about his twin son and daughter. "And I won't stop her. She's as happy as I've ever seen her. But enough o' that, it's getting late and I don't want to worry your mother so get going now, will you?"

"I didn't know Lucia wanted to be a hunter. I guess I'll ask her about it tomorrow." It was getting dark, now would really be the best time to leave. Mother should be expecting him. "Bye Mr. Fergusson! See ya tomorrow!"

He turned his back on the shop and walked away but before he could walk more than 10 meters, he heard a low '_Psst!_' calling him from the alley right next to the Armory. Waiting in the shadows away from her father's sight was one of Max's childhood friends, Lucia.

"Max. Come over here, I want to talk to you."

Lucy was, as I've already mentioned, a friend of Max's regardless of her father's attempts to make the 'two lovebirds' become a little more than that… Lucy was too independent and she liked Max in a sisterly way so there had never been anything other than that between the two and Max was fine with that too. Not that Max would ever agree that Lucy wasn't attractive either.  
Lucia was tall for her age and very lean as well, despite being a very active young girl. Her hair was an almost white-ish light blue and her eyes were a pair of orange-red opals that shone in sharp contrast to her hair color. She had always been very calm and collected even as a child when she would frequently act as the voice of reason of the group. This was something that Max really appreciated about her, she didn't act rashly like most of their friends. Instead, she always took her time to weigh out the consequences and she never broke under pressure even in the worst scenarios. She rarely spoke out her opinion but Max had learned to trust her when she did.

"What? Can't you see me? Move."

"I know Lucy, I can see you just fine…" To be honest though, it was kind of hard to notice her figure standing perfectly still under the shade between the houses. "I just didn't notice you were there."

"Then get over here, and be quick about it." She hushed.

Max took a quick look at the Armory to make sure Fergusson was too busy to notice him before joining Lucia in an improvised hiding spot right next to a nearby tree.

"What is it then?" He asked as he tried to find a comfortable position behind the brushes. He eventually gave up, sitting down in the dirt instead. "And why are we hiding? Why can't we talk in front of the shop?"

"I heard you talking to Father. You said your parents won't let you become a hunter?"

"I did. And they won't, they're too scared that I'll run into too much danger if I go out there. I tried talking to them but they just won't listen." He paused to think. 'What is she so curious about, anyway? And why didn't she want to talk in front of the shop?' "I guess I'm gonna have to become a merchant now."

"I see. But do you really have no choice? I thought your dad was fine with hunting, being a hunter and all."

He was getting ready to answer when it finally hit him, Lucia was afraid. She might not show it as clearly as others might, but he knew she rarely expressed any sort of strong emotions.

He had had no idea she wanted to become a hunter until Fergusson told him and, now that he thought about it, without him to join her in her hunts, things would get a bit complicated for her.

She had had a few friends to play with as a child but all of them had been introduced to her by Max. None of them had any sort of real connection with her.

She probably thought no one would hunt with her now, and she wouldn't be very wrong either. Most kids just isolated her because of her blunt moods and slightly cold behavior so she was sure to find herself doing most Quests alone. And, with no one to hunt with or help her, she was very likely to die alone out there.

"I- Lucia, do you know anyone that's doing the Exam with you?"

"Of course I don't. There aren't that many candidates this year so it was mostly just you, me and a few more from nearby villages." She said as she crossed her arms under her breasts.

She was preparing to elaborate upon this when she suddenly looked at him with a deadly glint in her eyes and said, "You better not be worried about me, Max, I'm not as harmless as you think. Now, answer the question." He had no choice but to comply, the venomous tone dripping from her voice demanded it.

"I've talked to my father. He disapproves and, like I said, becoming a merchant is the only choice I got if I want to see the world. Trust me, there is no way I'll be able to persuade my parents, they didn't even bother explaining what's got them so scared." He looked at her, feeling suddenly very sorry for her and even angrier at his parents. He loved them, he really did, but there was no way he would ever understand this one choice they had taken for him. And, right now, that choice was affecting others than him.

He got up. "I'm your friend, Lucy. If you pass the exam and no one joins you, you're as good as dead. So don't think for a second I'm not worried." He looked at her for a second before adding, "Listen, it's getting late and I gotta go. Can I talk to you tomorrow?" She slowly shook her head, closing her eyes as she did.

"I'll be working in the forge tomorrow." She opened her eyes and turned to him. "Just don't be mad at them, alright? Your parents, I mean. They must have a reason not to let you join the Guild. You just need to trust them right now."

She was right. Dad wouldn't teach him how to hunt only to change his mind years later for no good reason. There had to be something else. "Yeah, I suppose you're right. Thanks Lucy, I'll talk to Dad when he gets back. Have a good night."

"You too, Max." She turned away and left for the back door to her house, just behind the shop. Max stood there for a second, thinking about the approaching Hunter Exam, until his stomach awkwardly reminded him of just how hungry he was even before leaving the house. He hurried back across the village, lead by the smell of Furahiya Meat being cooked.

Will Dad be back in time for the birthday?

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**The Next Morning**

Max had had trouble falling asleep that night, most likely due to the bursting stomach he had after devouring half the table in a matter of seconds at dinner. He must've been more tired than he had thought but, sadly, no tiredness could compare to the huge stomach-ache he had right now.

But no matter, it had been a delicious experience, however brief. Probably one of the few advantages of the days when Dad wasn't home was that there were more leftovers for Max and his mother (an excellent cook I might add). As he started to wake up, he remembered how Dad hadn't gotten home yet. Not even last night. Max was restless now, everyone had been acting strange lately and he was starting to grow slightly worried since Dad never took more than 2 days with easy quests or 3 with the hard ones. This time, he had been gone for 4 days already! And he still wasn't home! What if something happened?!

"Y'know, when I was your age, I used to climb the trees and walls in the outskirts of town with my friends and I'd never stop moving no matter what. I would always get up before the sun and I'd always come home after it was gone, so I was always on the run. You seem to be made of lazier stuff than me, it seems!" Max suddenly felt a powerful poke, perfectly aimed at his still unstable belly, forcing him to bend over in pain as he tried not to puke its contents all over his bedroom.

As he started collecting his thoughts, he realized he had just been poked by a tall man sitting on the edge of his bed. This man looked "just like" him. He had a very similar hair style except his was completely white and slightly shorter. He also had the same slim but fit figure and even his facial features were the same as Max's! All except for a pair of piercing blue eyes with the color of the sky and the same soothing effects.

"Dad!" Max said as he jumped out of the bed sheets, onto his father's arms. "What took you so long? I was actually starting to get worried!"

"Starting to? What do you think I am? A low rank?" he joked. "Nah, I just went through a bit of trouble this time, nearly got caught by a pair of apes too. It would seem that little Granny switched my contract papers with someone else's 'cause as soon as I got to the site wearing my Mafumofu winter clothes and noticed I was in the middle of the Old Desert, I realized something was wrong! She was supposed to have given me a contract to the Snowy Mountains so imagine just how I felt once I got there… Silly Granny." They both laughed together for a bit before Rick got up and said in his usual, well-humored voice. "Now get up you lazy slug or I'll knock you down myself, ya hear me? Just 'cause it's your birthday doesn't mean you can just spend all day sleeping! So get up!"

Max quickly rolled out of bed, landing hard on his feet. His belly was still hurting but right now, he felt like jumping for joy. His father was his idol, not only for being a High-Ranking hunter but also because of what an amazing dad he was too. He saw his father smiling at him with his trademark grin and so he responded with a smile of his own.

"So, what did you bring me this time? And don't you try to hide it, old man. I can tell when you're hiding a surprise!"

His father laughed at how easily his son had seen through him and, just as expected of him, he surrendered.

"Alright, alright! You win this year too but that means nothing! I can still beat you at chess!"

Now it was Max's turn to laugh. "Only because you never bothered to teach me the rules correctly! You always come up with new rules in the middle of the game and blame my distractions for it! And don't you go changing topics, I want to know what you're hiding, Dad!"

His father then seemed to get slightly more serious but he still didn't drop that smile of his.

"Well, I guess 16 IS a special age with all that coming of age going on so I decided I'm gonna take you down to the lake this afternoon. I wanna talk to you about something and right now I've got an old woman to go yell at. So sit tight until then, alright?"

Well, this was interesting. What could Dad want to talk to him about? They had argued about the possibility of Max's career in hunting before his dad's last mission and the answer had still been a pretty solid "No". Maybe he just wanted to talk about his other career choices.

"Alright, I'll wait." And of course he had to wait. He was good at finding out most of his father's secrets but the ones he didn't were usually the ones Dad would never give away. This one seemed to be the case.

"Good boy." Said Rick as he turned and left Max's room but just as he was crossing the door he added, "Oh, and Drew's looking for you though I told him to wait 'till later when we get back from the lake. I know what it's about so I talked to him a second ago and he agreed to wait. Don't you go asking him though, it's a surprise."

Max nodded, he remembered Drew. Drew was another of Max's childhood friends (if not his best friend) who had become a hunter a year before since they were around a year apart in terms of age. Drew had stopped dropping by the village as frequently as he used to about halfway through last year so it had become harder for them to keep contact.

"Right. Is this related to my present?"

"It is, now don't you go spoiling it before it's time, alright? Took me a while to put this up for ya."

Max agreed as he then spent the rest of the day focusing on the tasks at home. The house needed to be cleaned, dishes needed to be washed and clothes had to be tidied up. It was only later in the afternoon that Max remembered it was his birthday when he was ambushed by a mob of neighbors as he was taking out the trash. Once he got rid of them he took a break which was also cut short by his father who was calling him over to the hallway.

"Get your fishing pole and let's go." He said. Max obediently hurried through the corridor into his room and not too long after came hurrying back into the hallway, pole in hand.

"We're going fishing?"

"That's right, you and I are gonna get some quality Father-Son time on our own so waddya think?"

"Could be worse. If we didn't have two fishing poles you would probably scare away all the fish and then we'd have to walk back home with no dinner." He held his fishing pole triumphantly. "At least with this pole here I'll be able to grab something for Mom and I. Dunno about you though."

His father smiled at him. The possibility of a duel crossed both of their minds. It was going to get rough as soon as they reached the lake and they knew it. After all, all's fair in love and war.  
Especially war.

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Sometime later, as they arrived upon the shore of the lake located just next to the Misty Mountains, Max started recollecting. He knew this area, he and his friends had come here in days their parents thought they were studying. It brought many wonderful memories all of them empowered by the thrill of escaping their parent's sights. His dad had brought him here few times as well, under the pretext of hunting lessons (it was all just 'quality Father-Son' time).

The moment they started getting ready for the fishing, though, Rick called out Max to remind them of why they were there.

"Max, remember when I said I wanted to talk to ya?"

"Yeah, what is it about?" He had been excepting this. Not that he hoped for much but Max couldn't help but feel slightly interested. He pulled back the fishing pole, scanning the lake for a good spot to aim at.

"You're 16 now. So I've been thinking about your future real hard for a while now. You know what I'm talking about, right?" He pulled back his pole too.

"Ya, I know. The Exam's tomorrow. Lucy and Ginny are going to be there, you know? Lews has already become a hunter last year and so has Drew. Even Dave and Kari are hunters. Why not me?" He threw his bait over the water, missing a school of mackerel by a couple of meters. He started pulling it back.

Rick sighed for a moment before throwing his bait too, ending up missing the school as well. "You know why. I don't want you to run the risks I do. Not when I know exactly what you're facing here." He pulled back his bait.

"That's what you keep telling me." Max threw the bait, missing again. "But I don't buy it. Why would you teach to hunt only to tell me 'No' once I grew up? It doesn't make sense."

"That's what I wanted to talk to you about. You need to understand that with or without training, you're still my son. And because of that, I can't let you become a hunter or at least-"

"And for that you punish me? I thought you WANTED me to become a hunter!" Max had forsaken his abandoned bait floating uselessly in the middle of the lake. He was mad at how stubborn his dad was being. At how selfish he was behaving. Max was just flaming furious and ready to burst. "All these years, I thought you knew how important-"

"OR AT LEAST SO I THOUGHT!" His father shouted, echoing his voice throughout the valley, scaring away the nearby herbivorous Popo herd.

He turned to his son with a serious look in his eyes. He seemed tired, even more than he had seemed to that morning.

"Because of that, I can't let you become a hunter or at least so I thought." He finished. Turning back to his fishing, Rick started re-aiming his fishing pole before continuing. "I thought I was thinking too hard, trying too hard to make you a hunter. I thought I was so much in love with my career, I had forgotten all of its risks and all of its dangers."

He had calmed down and was now talking as much to his son as to himself. Max was shocked, he had never heard his father shout like that or change his mind about something so suddenly. He had now truly forgotten about his bait, his fishing pole and even the lake. For all he knew, he might as well be stranded in the Old Desert just like his dad was not a few days back.

"But I hadn't." He continued. "I still thought about the monsters, the weather, the shortage of supplies, etc. None of it mattered. It is still a world worth living in and I'm damn happy I chose it." He looked at his son one more time before declaring,

"I've taught you all I know about hunting and you're a grown man now. I want you to be a hunter just as much as you do and that's why tomorrow morning you'll be joining your friends in the Hunter's Guild Exam. I wish you luck son."

Max was now effectively stunned but even before he could react or thank his father properly, he felt something incredibly strong pulling at his pole. He grabbed it quickly just before the pole attempted to fly away into the water.

"Dad!" He shouted. "Dad, it's huge!"

Realizing what was going on, Rick dropped his own pole and stood up to help his son but, even with his help, the fish was still able to fight back. They could feel it, probably the size of a man judging by its strength.

"It's a Wyvernfish! We need to pull it on the count of three!" Rick yelled. "Ready? One! Two! Three!" They both pulled as strongly as they could but, to no avail, the fish was still in the water, fighting with enough power to pull the both of them into the lake's crystal clear waters.

"Again!" Max shouted. "One! Two! Three!" They pulled again, bending the pole to its limits, this time with slightly better results. The fish was now struggling to stay underwater. One more pull would do it.

They could now see it in the water, a monstrous thing swimming downwards towards the bottom of the lake, attempting to escape its terrible fate with all the strength it could muster. The fish was large, even for its kind. He could feed a family for a week if cooked properly.

"Again!" Yelled the two of them. "ONE! TWO! THREE!" Pulling one last time, the fish was unable to resist them as he was immediately catapulted over the water, flying overheads into the grass. They had succeeded in their attempt to catch the man-sized fish at the cost of their fishing pole which, sadly, broke in their final effort. It was, nonetheless, a worthy and noble sacrifice.

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**Post Chapter note: **And there goes my first chapter. I have to admit, I was pretty nervous about this one since I immediately noticed my main weakness as I started working on it. That weakness being the difference between imagining the concept for what I want to create and the actual execution of that idea. Anyway, I honestly hope you enjoyed it and I ask that you leave a review with your opinion, questions and criticism ;P


	2. A True Weapon - Bone!

**Author's Note: **Dang, this is one long chapter... Still trying to get the pacing right but this is one mother of chapters... Good luck reading it!

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**DISCLAIMER:** The following is a fan-made fiction based on the Monster Hunter series. Monster Hunter is owned by Cash- *Cough*Capcom. And sadly, I'm not Capcom.

Please enjoy and review!

* * *

That day had been the happiest day in Max's life. He had done it, he had earned the right to be tested as a hunter. All that remained now was the Exam itself, more of a thing of protocol rather than practicality, it was something he was sure to ace with little effort if he managed not to screw up horribly. 'If'.

"Dad?" Said Max as they arrived back in the village, fish in one hand and broken fishing pole in the other. "I just wanted to thank you. I was so scared that you were gonna make me choose something else, I thought I was gonna die. I'm glad you changed your mind" He smiled genuinely, all his hatred gone for good now that he saw the future ahead of him. Life was good, extremely so.

His father seemed to share some of this happiness as he too had not stopped smiling and laughing ever since they had managed to catch the fish. To him, this day was special as well and he was proud and happy for his son.

He said, "Y'know kid, one of these days you and your old man are gonna go on a hunt together. Then I'll teach you how to catch the really big fish."

The two of them smiled in agreement just before they were interrupted by a young man, as tall as Max, who had walked up to them. He wore a hunter's armor with ease and he seemed quite used to its weight too.

"Happy birthday, Max. Judging by that smirk I take it you've heard the news." He glanced at Rick looking for confirmation. He got it in the form of a slow nod. "Then I guess you won't mind if I talk to you for a sec?" He turned back, marching across the street.

Max gave his father a hug one more time before handing him over the Wyvernfish. "I'll be home in a minute." He then left to follow the teen. He was lead to the front of the General Shoppe were they both stopped, just by the counter, away from the small crowds filling the street. "What's up Drew, what do you need?"

His childhood friend smiled, the scales on his Giaprey Armor shining in the sunlight. "It's not about what I need, Max. It's about what YOU need. You do know the Exam's tomorrow, don't you?"

Max seemed confused by this question. His blonde friend knew he wouldn't miss it. So what might possibly be the problem?

"I do. But what do you mean 'what I need'? If you mean equipment then I suppose I'm a bit unprepared but I was gonna borrow Dad's stuff anyway so it's no biggie."

"No, you weren't." In a sudden change, his friend's sharp, gray eyes were now threatening to cut him down right where he stood. "I thought I told you hunters don't 'borrow' equipment unless they are both experienced with it. You need armor and a weapon of your own. Some do borrow some equipment but it is rarely something they know how to wield and it ends up badly for them. Can you wield a Sword and Shield half as well as your father?"

Max was seeing Drew's point now. He was an awful SnS user. He never knew with which arm to hit his opponent. And never mind Dualswords, his father's second weapon of choice. Max would just end up stabbing himself multiple times if he tried those out. His father had taught him how to hunt with a Bow but he had a hard time hunting anything faster than a Popo.

"I- I suppose my Dad's arsenal isn't exactly tailored to my tastes. But there's lots of stuff I can use. Don't you have any Longswords with you?" The Longsword was his favorite weapon, he had tried it only once under the guidance of Alvor, one of his uncles, who was an expert Longsword wielder but it had been an amazing experience. He could still remember the blade's weight in his hands, feeling heavy, yet light after considering its size and the massive amounts of damage he had been able to inflict upon the mannequins at his uncle's house.

"Not really, no. I've never really been much of a fan of those. What else can you wield?"

And then, Max froze. His dad had no Longswords and neither did Drew. Lucia was working in the forge and all of his Longsword wielding friends were out doing Quests. Worst case scenario, he would have to shadowbox all night to prepare for the coming Exam.

"I… don't think I know how to use anything else. Can't I just bring SnS and hope for the best?" To hell with acing the Exam, he just wanted it done.

"Not if I can help it. You're going to pass with flying colors, no matter how. I've put a lot of money and faith on you man, you can't fail me now."

"W- What? You betted on me? I didn't even know you did that in the Guild!"

"Well, we do, now get over it. Listen, I'm gonna help you out this time but only because we're friends, alright? I'm gonna need some zeni to buy a weapon for you, I just need you to pay half of it since I'll be paying the rest, OK?"

Max looked suspiciously at his friend's face, trying to guess what was going on in his head. Probably the much larger sum he would receive if he won the bet.

"Why can't you pay all of it? I thought a pro like you would be chockfull of zeni by now. Was your first year really that bad?" He asked sarcastically. "Besides, you know I'll _probably_ pay you back once I get Questing."

"Max, buddy, my friend, hunting is a very rewarding profession but there are also lots of expenses. Armor repair, the Quest fees, resources, it's all pretty costly if you don't manage it well, not counting your home expenses." He was joking, but he wasn't lying either. Hunting WAS costly business. Drew then put up a warm smile. "Seriously now, take the money, talk to Lucy's dad, he'll make you a discount for sure."

Before Max could accept or refuse Drew's offer, he felt a hefty weight being dropped onto his uselessly open hand. The loud jingling of coins told Max there must be more than enough in it for a basic weapon and its weight certainly confirmed it.

"Drew… how much zeni is there in here?"

"Enough for an armor set and a weapon. Or half of one. We're buying it all so it's slightly more than if we had the materials but at least you'll get it immediately. Now we just need to decide on your weapon choice."

"Where the hell did you get all this money? And, besides, I don't even need armor!" He protested.

"Yes you do, now shut up and take my money! I'd give you one of my own sets but most of them are too large for you and, besides, your dad probably wears different sizes too. Now stop worrying and start buying!"

He had no choice now. He didn't want to accept a large sum from a friend who was likely in need of it. Yet, he could not deny the money would be a major help if he wanted to play efficient and quick. He took it.

"Thanks Drew, you know how I hate being in others' debts. I will put it to good use, I promise."

His friend seemed somewhat relieved and his eyes were peaceful now. He extended an arm towards the Armory.

"Shall we?" He asked. Max nodded in agreement and turned after him, following his lead. "Tell me, Max. I know what armor you should buy but I wanna know more about what kind of weapon you might want. Is it really just Longswords?"

Max quickly did a mental check and then replied, "Yeah, just those. I mean, I'm not too horrible with a Hammer but I never had much training with one."

"What about Lances?"

He shrugged. "Too heavy."

"Gunlances?"

"Are you kidding me?"

"Bows?"

"I'm awful with moving targets."

"And Bowguns?"

"Only if you want me to shoot you."

"Not even Greatswords?"

"Nope. Too slow."

Drew sighed heavily. He had hoped for something else other than Longswords (everyone used those nowadays but few were actually good at it) and a Hammer could be dangerous to the team if left in inexperienced hands.

"You know what, Max? Longswords are fine." They had arrived at the Armory; however, Lucy's dad was nowhere to be seen. Drew took a quick look over the counter and called out to check for anyone who might be inside. No answer.

He turned to Max and said, "We'll just have to wait. It shouldn't take too long for-"

"Good afternoon." Said a somewhat tired voice coming from within the shop. "Shop's closed today and we can't take any more requests either, we're full." Emerging from the darkness behind the counter, came Lucy's head, slowly rising above the counter as she noticed her two visitors.

"Oh, you two." She immediately turned to Max. "I told you I was busy today. If you tell me what you need quickly then I might just get it done but you need to hurry."

Drew quickly took over for Max and explained their need. "We're here to buy a Blademaster's Leather Armor Set and the cheapest Longsword you have. Max needs it for tomorrow's Exam."

Her eyes burst wide open at the news. She looked shocked and speechless at his statement but she soon recovered from it.

"It'll be 2500 zeni. I'll go get them right away." She disappeared behind the shop's small curtains as fast as she had appeared. They heard her as she rummaged through the various carefully arranged pieces of equipment kept inside the shop while they waited outside with excitement. She eventually returned, Armor Set neatly folded inside a deer hide bag and a long staff-like bone in-hand.

Max paid the correct amount but asked what the staff was for and where was the Longsword. Lucia answered, "This is Bone. It is the cheapest Longsword we have available." She held the staff in front of them and explained, "It may not be very visible, but this 'staff' has a blade-like edge. I suggest you just whack your opponents either way though, it's not very sharp."

It was true. One side of the staff featured a slightly sharpened blade made entirely from of the bone itself. Max was dumbfounded by this small twist of events. He was happy he now had a weapon of his own but it could hardly be called a weapon. He took the staff and checked it for a hilt and as expected, he found none.

"I suppose this will do. I can't back down from the Exam just because I'm not as well equipped as I wished I was. Though, this IS pushing it a bit too far." He looked at Lucia over Bone and said, "Anyway, thanks Lucy, I'll try my best tomorrow, you can be sure of that."

Hearing Max's words, Drew added, "Speaking of which, will you two be on the same team after the Exam? If so, I should tell you that it is better if you team up with two others to join you tomorrow. That way, you'll know who is a worthy ally, and who isn't. If someone manages to impress the both of you, ask him to join you. If not, kick him out. Making friends in the Guild is essential to any hunter, especially if they are strong." He crossed his arms in a knowing manner. "It is much better to face the dangers of the outside world with someone you can trust. I'll try and join you in a few Quests, but I won't always be there."

Max nodded. "You're right. We need at least a third party member. But I we'll just find out who, tomorrow." He spoke to Lucia. "Thanks again, Lucy. I hope you're as ready as I am."

She kept her face emotionless, like a mask she feared might break if she were to smile. It was unnerving but she did it all the same, almost like she simply didn't care for others' reactions.  
While she did have colorful eyes with their fiery-amber tones, it was always impossible to guess what she was thinking. She simply nodded and answered shortly, "Don't worry, I am."

Grabbing his newly bought armor and ridiculous staff, Max was getting ready to leave when Lucia added, "Oh, and happy birthday, Max. Don't waste it."

"Huh, thanks! I guess I won't!"

As they left, Max turned to Drew and asked him, "What if Lews joined our team, Drew? You've hunted with him before. Is he strong?"

His friend's face twisted into an uncomfortable grimace as he carefully said, "Lews is… not exactly the best hunter I've ever met. He might have improved since the last time I saw him, though."

"Huh? And when was that?"

"Around 4 months ago. Yeah, haven't seen him in the Guild Outpost for a while. And he was never there for very long." He said in a very matter-of-fact manner.

This was a bit worrisome for Max. He wanted to form a team with his one year older cousin but if he really was that bad…

* * *

Back in the house, more specifically in the kitchen little more than two hours later, Max was trying on his leather armor with the help of his father as Jeanne watched them go about it while she cooked the day's catch. It smelled good.

"No, no, no. This goes here, I'm telling you! Now let me just find an angle to push it into that…"

"Dad, you've tried that like five times already! Back off! You're gonna break it if you keep pushing it that way!"

"Kid, shut up and trust your dad on this one, alright? I know what I'm doing."

Or, at least, they had been trying to. Max had forgotten to ask for a specific size and so, quite naturally, Lucia had provided him with the L size. Which was large, granted, but it was a little too small for Max's above standard height. By the time they had managed to fit Max into the leathery outfit with its tight, uncomfortable boots and undersized chest armor, both Rick and Max were covered in sweat all over their clothes.

"Y'know, you don't look too shabby in that. Fits you like a glove!" Rick said as he proudly took a look at his son in his new outfit.

"The hell it does! I feel like this might explode if I make a move!" Max did seem rather uncomfortable in his armor but his father insisted it was just Max's inexperience with armor that was manifesting itself. Tired as they were, they had no choice but to just go with what they had so they got Max out of the Blademaster Set and sat down at the dinner table, where the now perfectly cooked Wyvernfish was expecting them. They ate. A lot. The fish was too large to be cooked in one go so only a quarter of it was actually eaten but it had proven to be more than enough for anyone's stomach to handle.

They talked about how proud they all were that Max was to become a hunter just like his dad. They also talked about how things were going to get once he got hunting. The hunting seasons, the armor maintenance, the resource management (both the economical and the everyday material expenses) and also the geography of the Land. Rick even told the family about the one time when he found a legendary Elder Dragon's shedded skin, hidden in the Snowy Mountains. They spent a long while like this, just talking. They talked about the other hunters in the family, Max's cousins most of them, and how they were all doing.

"So Dave is already a Rank 5?! But Dad, aren't you a Rank 5 too?" Dave was the eldest of Max's cousins, he was smart but reckless. Most of the time he was determined to do as he pleased, and not as others wanted. He was popular, though, he had a strong group of hunters his age who stood behind him on every Quest he did. They trusted his rash behavior and clever judgment and no one questioned his methods. Quite unlike him was his younger brother, Lews, who had always lived in his shadow, earning for the respect of his older brother, who rarely gave it. Theirs was a complicated relationship.

"Yeah, I am. But a lotta hunters get stuck on Rank 5 and Dave is smart, he'll stay there if he knows what's good for him. That's what I did." He turned to his wife, smiling with his perfectly clean teeth. "I got married."

"That means nothing. Dave has a girlfriend and Kari hunts WITH him." Max objected.

"Well, then I take back what I said." Said Rick, turning to face his son. "Your cousin's a fool. Only a fool taunts death. And more so if he brings his loved one along with him. Rank 5 is no joke." Rick had a serious look on his face now, he appeared worried. "I haven't heard much about Lews for a while now, have you asked your brother?" He asked, looking back to Jeanne.

"Alvor says he's been in a bit of trouble. Ever since he joined the Hunter's Guild he only goes out on Quests with David and his group. I've never heard of any others joining him. Even Drew and others his age avoid him. Alvor's worried he's not cut out for the job." She bit her lip, obviously worried about her nephew's well being as well. "Poor child."

Max then stood up slightly, remembering what Drew had told him in the afternoon as they returned from the Armory. '_Lews is… not exactly the best hunter I've ever met_…'

"I- I heard that people avoid him because of his hunting abilities. They say he isn't very good." He stopped himself for a second. He was fond of Lews, he had always been a good friend of his and a loyal one too despite all his failures. But… "But I don't care, I still want him to join my group. He's my cousin, and I trust him. Because that's what family means!"

His parents stared at him, their mouths slightly open. As Max's slight outburst slowly died down, they both started smiling. Soon enough, they were laughing.

"W- What? What did I say? Don't you guys agree? Hey! Stop laughing!" They didn't. Not for a while at least. They certainly agreed with Max but, to them, his reaction could either be interpreted as being seriously ridiculous or ridiculously serious. They went with the second option since they didn't want to ruin the present mood. He was young, he shouldn't be worrying about such matters.

They sent Max to bed after they had cleaned the dishes and soon went to bed as well. As they fell asleep, however, Jeanne couldn't help but worry about her son and the trials he would have to face the next day. After all, she wanted what was best for him. She got up.

* * *

The next morning was as beautiful as one might ask. The summer warmth was still intruding in the current spring, bringing unwanted heat to the Pokke settlement. Pokke villagers wore a set of clothes that were extremely effective at warding off the cold. Wearing these clothes in the mountains made them impervious the chilly winds; however, this also meant they were not well prepared for the hotter seasons.

Luckily, Max's leather armor was nowhere near being a set of warm winter garments due to the lack of sufficient heat conserving materials on it, such as fur or wool. As Max got up, he immediately remembered the Exam was set to open within a few hours. He needed to hurry, so he went across the hallway and into the kitchen, hoping to find his armor. As he entered the kitchen area, however, he noticed the armor was not only out of place but also laid out in a strange position on top of the kitchen table, surrounded by sewing tools such as needles, thread, cloth and sewing shears. He went to the table, looking to grab the armor for a closer inspection. He grabbed it, examining the work that had been done to it and he saw the armor was now slightly larger through the use of extended catguts and larger wool sections. He marveled at how quickly this miracle must have been born to be ready in the morning. From the hallway, he heard his mother approaching him and so he turned to her.

"Did… did you do this?" He was still amazed at how fast one would have to work in order to complete the task in one night. Jeanne mustn't have slept at all!

"Of course I did. I couldn't let my child go on his first hunt with defective equipment. How could I not fix it?" She smiled weakly, it was obvious she was still tired from her overnight endeavor. Max could tell. "Now hurry up and eat breakfast, you are going to need it today."

She was right. The best way to pay back her efforts was to make it all worth it and right now, he had to get moving if he wanted to be by the Outpost before its doors opened. "Alright, I'll hurry but you need to get back into bed, you look like you need it." He pushed her back into her room were an oblivious Rick appeared to be asleep in a very strange position, his back on the floor while his legs stood uselessly up straight over the bed. The man slept like a rock but he definitely made himself sound louder than one. Small wonder Jeanne had trouble sleeping.

As Max tucked his mother back in bed he could hear birds chirping outside. He had to be quick now. "Oh, and Mom? I just want to thank you. You're amazing, you know that?"

She smiled again, this time more firmly. "Just go. The Exam will be a piece of cake for you, and you know it. And don't forget to make us proud." She closed her eyes and seemingly fell asleep instantly, though not before smiling one last time. Max did as she asked and left for the kitchen.

Not too long later, both he and Lucia met outside the Outpost's Gathering Hall. She was wearing a female Gunner's version of his own armor and she carried a bow and quiver on her back, she seemed more than prepared for the Exam. Both of them did. Out of the 20 other few hunters waiting outside the building with them, only 5 wore a complete armor set and, even then, only they wore something other than the village's trademark Mafumofu hunting clothing.

"Wow! You look great, Lucy! I didn't know you could use bows!" It was a simple, low price compound bow, something not too high level for new hunters. Its many mechanical parts allowed for easier transportation and less force would be needed to bend its limbs, in comparison to other bows. It was composed mostly of cheap materials such as bone, iron and Anteka pelt. It still looked miles better than Max's makeshift Longsword, though.

"Yeah, I can use bows. Are you good with Longswords?"

"Well, yeah. I mean, I only tried them out once or twice but, how hard can it be?"

She didn't react. It wouldn't be too long now.

"Hey, you think anyone's gonna join our group? They all look like they've already got groups of their own." He frowned; no one had joined him up until now and even though he did plan on going with Lucia, he had hoped someone would join them. Oh well…

"Oi! You guys got a group yet?" Both of them staggered for a moment as a boy their age approached them. He wasn't as tall as Max but he didn't seem frail either. "I'm sorry! I haven't been able to find a group yet and the doors are almost open! Can I join you?" He looked friendly. He had straight, shoulder length black hair that covered his eyes almost completely and his face looked sincere. His eyes appeared to be gray but it was hard to tell through his hair.

Max wasn't going to pass on this opportunity to have someone join his group. The teen looked pretty solid, especially in his complete Mafumofu armor set. But Max had to make sure he wasn't going to be a nuisance to him or Lucy. So he nervously asked, "Oh, huh, I guess you could but, we kinda need to know what weapon you brought if we are gonna let you join us. Are you good with it?" He tried to see exactly what it was he was carrying on his back. It looked like a really large Bowgun but he couldn't be sure.

"Oh, this?" The boy said, pointing to his back. "It's a Gunlance, can't you see?" He then pulled it off, managing to point it away from the other two so as to avoid any incidents. "Sure, I'm good with it. But are YOU good with your weapon?" He folded the massive cannon by dropping its tip in one carefully controlled movement. He wasn't bluffing about being skilled.

"Yeah, we're pretty good." He lied. He didn't want to lose a potentially strong team member. "I'm Max and she's Lucia, what's your name?" He asked as he extended his hand for a handshake. "We've never seen you in the village before."

The boy seemed a bit lost for a second but he quickly recovered from it as he put up a smile. "I'm not from around here, I'm actually from a nearby settlement. I'm Corr!" He then took Max's hand for a friendly handshake. Max could see his eyes now, they were a steely blue. They looked kind. "Pleasure to meet you both. And, if you don't mind me asking, are you two dating?"

Max blushed lightly, it wasn't the first time someone had asked him that question but it was the first time someone had the nerve to do so in front of Lucia. He took a moment to look over his shoulder towards her and, to his surprise, she had turned a very bright red and it was extremely noticeable. He mumbled, "N- No! We're not! We're just-"

"Friends, I know! I was just teasing you." Corr laughed at their expense. Max wasn't so sure about the 'kindness' part, now. To him, Corr was pure evil… "It's just that both of you look so serious, I wanted to loosen you up! So, what-"

"ALL HUNTERS ARE REQUESTED TO DIVIDE INTO GROUPS OF 2 OR MORE! WE WILL CALL YOU IN ONE BY ONE SHORTLY! PLEASE DO NOT WANDER AWAY FROM YOUR GROUP OR YOU WILL MISS THE CALL!" The loud voice seemed to come from the entrance. Hunters were starting to gather around the door. Corr grabbed Max's shoulder before he went as well.

"Wait for the majority of the hunters to go in. We'll just get crushed in there. We'll go once it clears up a bit." Max nodded, he agreed with the plan. Getting stuck in a tight crowd of Mafumofu wearers in a hot day didn't seem so good of an idea right now.

Once most of the crowd had already gone inside Max and his group stood up and went in as well. Inside was quite warm, not unbearably hot but it was a noticeable difference from the outside. As soon as he got in, the first thing Max noticed was how large the Outpost's Gathering Hall was. It would've been large enough to host twice or maybe three times as many candidates yet, strangely enough, only a third of the original candidates remained. Perhaps the others had already been sent on their way? It was likely.

Before Max could properly admire the hundreds of pelts, antlers and horns decorating the Hall's walls, or even the huge table in the middle of the room, he felt someone pushing at his sleeve, trying to get his attention.

"Come on, Max. It's our turn." Corr called. "Over there, by the counter."

As Max finally returned to his senses he slowly looked towards the counter. Behind it was one girl dressed in a simple pink clerk dress and two more empty chairs that were likely meant for the other two staff member who would hand out higher level Quests. She was waving her hand in the air, expecting his group to come closer. They approached.

"Hello there! You are the last group to do the Exam today, I think. So once I'm done with you, I can finally get back to bed! On with it then!" She seemed very young. Extremely so, judging by her short height. No one said anything as she got her papers ready and cleared her voice.

She then spoke in an overly dramatic tone, "I am here to brief you on the basics of hunting with the Guild. We are not the same as those part-time amateurs! We're the real deal! So pay attention to the rules 'cause I won't be repeating myself!"

Again, nobody said anything, they just nodded. "Right then! First off all you need to know that this is where you will be receiving your Quest contracts, right here by the counter. There will always be two more members of the staff waiting here to give you Quests. Additionally, you can also join an already taken Quest contract by looking it up in the Quest Board over there but, remember, you must first speak with its original hunter to be allowed to join his Quest! There is also a contract fee you must pay before establishing a contract." She took a moment to pause for breath as she prepared for another onslaught of information.

"To better help you complete your contract you will be graded in Hunter Ranks which will allow you to take only on Quests your level. Promotion may occur if certain conditions are met. Your Guild Card, which will act both to identify you as a hunter and to give you access to certain areas, will also identify your Rank. Higher Rank Quests yield more money but are also more dangerous. Each Quest also has a certain timer depending on the client's will. Most Quests will give you about two days or so to complete the contract but some extermination Quests have been known to extend for a week. The Guild will always provide you with resources such as a map of the area and rations but it is recommended that you take your own items as well."

She took another deep breath. "That is all, for now. Please go sit by the rest of the hunters. You will soon be called for your very first Quest, after which you will be driven back to the Guild. Do your best!" She smiled hugely and jumped out of her chair as she walked out of the Hall. She really was something…

Max barked something about 'dedication and laziness' but Corr soon cut him off.

"Okay guys, I guess we have to wait a little while longer. I know you must be burning with anticipation but we need to be patient. Why not take a look around the Hall while we wait?" He moved towards the item shop opposite to the entrance while Lucia stayed back to check out the main area and the large table. Max didn't go with either of them and instead decided he wanted to go look at the Quest Board right next to the item shop. As he approached the board, he took another small look at the area.

The atmosphere was quite welcoming. The Hall was sure to be warm even in winter, its large fireplace certainly ensured it and the numerous torches placed in wooden torch holders were sure to illuminate the place as well. Observing the walls of the Hall, Max noticed many of its material were hunt-related. Pelts were spread across the walls, held by numberless monster teeth and skulls which were essential to a hunter's everyday life. Even the candle chandeliers in their wooden crosses would be a substantial heat and light source. Max couldn't help but day dream of nights spent here, drinking with his hunting comrades and friends after a difficult Quest. The pay would be good, he could meet all kinds of people, see all kinds of places and, best of all, he would be free to explore the world. This was the life he was meant to have.

Reaching the Quest Board he immediately noticed that what was posted was not Quest contracts but group lists, featuring the names of today's candidates. Oddly enough, about half the names were slashed with single horizontal stripes. It could be marking the ones that had been through the Exam, after all, there were less than half a dozen candidates left and there were still more hunters being tested. Max quickly found his yet unmarked name, Max Rickson. After some searching he found Lucia Azmaria and Corr… Fitzroy? Max had never heard a name like that before. Perhaps it was foreign. In Pokke Village, everyone's surnames always ended with the suffix "son" after the father's name. The exception were the women who inherited their mother's names with the prefix "az" or "a".

"Fitzroy" was, therefore, a strange case. Where exactly did Corr say he was from? It was hard to remember. Max quickly took a moment to think about it. Was he rich? Poor? Nobility? The bastard son of a foreign king? Or a thief? A cold-blooded killer, having escaped the justice in his country, seeking refuge in a faraway village? Max's imagination saw no limits, possibly a consequence of the many stories he had heard from merchant's bodyguards who would gather in the tavern to boast and drink.

If this boy was to join their team permanently, there could be trust issues. There was much Max didn't know about him even if he felt like he could trust him. True, there was no malice in his taunts and he didn't seem the cowardly type but there was no knowing what he might do…

There were a few names Max recognized from friends in the village but these were less than the ones he didn't. Other immigrants perhaps? He had no knowledge of any nearby villages. He turned back to find his two partners expecting him.

"It's our turn, Max. The time has finally come." Corr said with a large smile on his face. "Our very first hunt!"

It was true, the Outpost was empty if not for them and a single man, a member of the Guild staff no doubt, who was expecting them by the exit. Max smiled back at Corr, unable to stop himself. He had waited too long for this moment and, with or without this foreigner's help, he was still going to fulfill his dream, no matter what. He could bet his life on it.

* * *

**Post-chapter Note: **Next chapter we finally get some action! Hopefully...

Oh and please review!


	3. The First Hunt!

Author's Note: Well, here goes! Third time's the charm, it seems. Hope you enjoy how the character are developing so be sure to give me some feedback on that please!

* * *

**DISCLAIMER:** The following is a fan-made fiction based on the Monster Hunter series. Monster Hunter is owned by Capcom. Sadly, I am not Capcom.

Please enjoy and review! I will be sure to reply to any questions.

* * *

Max sighed, it had been almost three hours since they had set out from HQ and his back was starting to hurt again. They were currently crossing an old bridge in the middle of a forest they had entered not too long ago. By Max's calculations they should be about 4 miles in now.

And right now, he needed to find yet another, hopefully more comfortable, position to sit in. He rose up, careful not to fall down the cart like he almost did the first few times he had tried to move while the cart wasn't completely still, and sat down again next to the cart's edge. Lucia was faring much better than him though, she had found a perfect improvised seat to sit down on top of the right wheel. The left wheel was already taken as it was currently Corr's turn to sit on it.

"Are you sure you don't want to switch yet, Max? You don't look too comfortable over there."

Max winced as he felt his spine bump into the horizontal wooden shaft he was holding onto when the cartwheel hit a rock. It was the fifth time he forgot to hold on as tightly as he should.

"I'm alright Corr. Besides, we just switched." He sat down, leaning his ribs to the cart, trying to avoid further damage to his aching spine. _I feel like an old man now. Can't even move right. _He found a slightly less painful position to sit in. "How long now?"

"We should be getting there. The driver said we would be arriving soon." Replied Lucia absentmindedly. She hadn't moved much since they had gotten in the cart and she seemed almost comfortable that way. She would check on her compound bow every now and then to make sure its large number of moving parts were functioning properly. As expected of the blacksmith's daughter.

"Yeah, but that was like, half an hour ago." Objected Max in a stressed voice. "Maybe we're just lost."

The driver seemed to hear him as he then claimed over the sound of the wheels screeches, "Ho! Don't go getting impatient young 'un! We're taking a longer route today, is all. With all them rookies walking around, we're gonna need a good hunter-clean area!" The old cart driver turned to them as he let the horses lead the way. He smiled. "And if me mind isn't too old and long in the tooth, we should be there in less than five minutes." He then turned back to his driving, paying no mind as Max prepared more questions, not all of them Quest-related.

"Too… long in the tooth? Like a horse's?" He asked in confusion. It was a queer expression, though it did made sense. Corr explained.

"It's exactly like an old horse's. They check a horse's teeth for signs of old age in the few countries that use them. The longer the teeth, the older the horse." He seemed quite knowledgeable of the topic. Max was curious as to why.

"And how do you know so much about horses? Aren't you from Minegarde?"

"I am. I just happen to know most of these things from rumors and stuff. You hear all sorts of things back where I live."

Max wasn't convinced. He raised an eyebrow at the poor reply, wondering what kept Corr from telling him more. He wanted to know.

"Still, you don't look like you're from around here. And I don't know anyone in the village with eyes like yours. They are almost ice colored." It was true, there were few people in the village with blue eyes, Rick among them, and they were all from different countries. Not to mention Rick was from Minegarde and so was the Outpost's Guild Master. "What about your parents? Are they from Minegarde?"

"They were." He sighed. "But what about yours? If my eyes really do look like ice then yours are yellow gold. And I don't think I've ever seen someone with your height, even in Pokke. Are _you_ from Minegarde?" It was a simple harmless question but the intention behind it was clear. Corr was done with Max's endless questioning.

The mood was getting heavy, both boys were staring at each other now, eyes locked in a mutually distasteful glare. Max had been pushing at Corr for the past two hours, almost since they had gotten on the cart and it was starting to have an effect on Corr's good mood. Lucia had simply ignored them up until now but her patience was running out as well. Before Max could argue his eyes were actually hazel brown, she opened her mouth for the second time since their last stop, about an hour before.

"Quit it Max, we're here to pass our test regardless of where we're from and we better not argue for the entirety of the Quest or I swear I'll make you regret it… is that clear?"

Max swallowed hard. What was with her today?

"Also, we've reached our destination." She got up, standing on top of the cart in perfect balance, just as a camp slowly appeared before them amidst the short trees that covered the surrounding forest.

It looked like the Guild had set up a standard brownish tent with a circular form for them to set camp in. As they jumped down from the cart, they could observe the surrounding area they were in, a small clearing next to a large rocky wall and a crystal clear pond. The tent seemed closed to prevent small fauna to get in and next to its assumed entrance could be seen two child-sized boxes, a blue one and a red one.

On top of the red one was a letter. Corr approached the red box and then invited the others to join him. Once the other two got close, he opened the letter, marked with the Guild's coat of arms. It read:

_The Hunters Guild would like to extend its deepest thanks for your willingness to join and support the Guild Outpost. Lately we have received numerous reports regarding a wyvern couple nested inside a hill at the centre of this forest which has been preying on cattle from the nearby farms. We suspect this is a consequence of possible eggs which would lead to an increase in their need to enlarge their food stock so as to prepare for the unborn hatchlings._

_So, first, a little trial. Sneak into the wyvern's nest and get an egg from the Rathalos as its mate is known to be currently missing. Successfully evade the wyvern, snatch the egg and remember TO NOT engage it in combat as it is currently beyond your abilities. Without the egg, the couple will cease their constant raids as they will not need them anymore._

_- The Pokke Village Chief_

Folding the letter carefully, he then opened the box's large lid revealing an empty inside. "I guess this is where the egg goes, then?" He turned to the blue one and asked Lucia to open it. She complied. She opened it and within it they could see a set of four rations and medicine flasks stacked by an equal number of water canteens and some whetstones. There was also one box of ammunition such as Bowgun bullets and a strange flask marked with detailed warnings and symbols. On the side of the box were four neatly folded maps they took once they were properly stacked on flasks and food alike. Lucia took the strange flask in her hands and observed its purple liquid as she spun it around. She whispered to herself in a low voice, "I can't use this. The poison will corrode the metal in these arrow tips. My bow was unfortunately not made to support this substance. Shouldn't be a problem though." She put the flask back into the chest and moved away from it, towards the tent entrance. "Venom is not the only way to kill a monster."

"You're a creepy one you know that?" Max commented mockingly.

"It works wonders to my reputation. Keeps most fools away from me though I guess some still bug me with needless comments." She put up a fake smile for Max and then turned away into the now open tent.

Corr approached Max and extended his hand, expecting a handshake. "I'm sorry if I sounded rude in the cart but I don't like it when strangers question my words that much. I shouldn't have lost my temper." He seemed truly regretful. It was their first mission together and he probably didn't want to start with the wrong foot. Max understood.

"No biggie. I was rude too so you shouldn't blame yourself so much. It's just the stress taking over."

Corr's eyes seemed to glow with hope for a moment. "So no problem? Are we gonna team up for this test after all? You know we need to trust each other." His blue eyes shone, expecting his reaction.

"I- Of course! This is gonna be a piece o' cake! Now let's go get that egg and make us an omelet!" He took Corr's hand and shook it. "C'mon Lucia! Let's move!"

Oddly enough, she had managed to sneak up behind him undetected. "I'm right here dummy. Let's go."

The group moved out, passing through the small tunnel between the camp and the outside area reaching a small hill by a river. It was a beautiful sight they saw, surrounded by nature as they were and with no threat in sight. The temperate climate of the forests and hills makes them a popular home for large numbers of herbivores such as the Aptonoth and Mosswine. However, the monsters that prey on herbivores, such as the Velociprey, are also present, giving these areas a tinge of danger. The common feature among these monsters is that they all travel in packs. While alone they are not much of a threat, they work as a group to surround their prey, which they then attack from all directions. Max knew this and it worried him.

"We should be quick. Velociprey roam this area and the Rathalos is sure to scout the skies as well." Known as King of the Heavens, the Rathalos was a powerful flying wyvern extremely capable in flight. It was known to patrol its territory from the air, easily spotting prey with its impeccable eyesight and it also had a quite infamous reputation for attacking ferociously.

Corr, however, had a plan.

"Right, we should split up and move in from separate directions. One of us will have to go alone since Lucia needs a Blademaster by her side. I volunteer to go with her as the Gunlance is a far better bodyguard weapon than the Longsword."

Max was stunned to the point he had to lock his jaws in a loud _snap_ so as to not let it hit the floor. "And what about me? Why am I going in alone?"

"You've got far better armor than I do and besides, I can't run with a Gunlance in hand. Or do you suggest we let her go alone?" He looked at Max with face both serious and worried. "Trust me on this, Max, the Rathalos will have more trouble tracking us down if we go in separately."

_So that's it! That son of a... he just wants me to act as wyvern bait! _Corr wanted Max to distract the Rathalos while he and Lucy grabbed the egg… But what could Max do? There was no arguing against his plan and Lucia didn't seem to care too much about it. What to do…

"Alright, I'll go. Will you two be safe?"

"Thank you Max, you know I need you to work with us as a team and this is the best way to do it. Do you understand?" He grabbed Max's shoulder. "So let's do our best today!"

The team moved away from the tunnel entrance, turning towards the small field by the river below. As they reached two possible paths, one that followed the river and one that went through the forest, Corr asked Max to go through the river path.

_The one where I'm an easy target for the Rathalos… while he hides in the woods… No way. _He nodded however and did as he was asked, turning to the river side. "Alright, I'll do it. Good luck you guys."

* * *

As he disappeared behind the rocky hills, Corr and Lucia started walking as well, though into the woods. It was a dark and humid place despite the afternoon sun due to the trees' branches that covered the area like a dark green ceiling, its walls being the moss covered rocks and small hills that gave the place a very distinct trench feeling.

Lucia was wary. This stranger seemed nice and all but there was something about him she did not trust. He had almost immediately taken control of the group as soon as he joined in only to, soon after, get them separated in a team test. He seemed honest but, as she knew very well, looks could be deceiving. "Where to?" She asked.

"Oh, I think the lake north of here is our objective right now. Once we get there it'll be a piece of cake to get to the nest." He smiled warmly. "This is gonna be easy."

_Easy you say?_ Lucia hadn't observed the maps for very long but only because she had an easy time remembering details like the ones in maps. The end result? She knew there was a shorter path through a corridor like forest area she had seen in the map. Going around it and through the lake area would be a waste of time to them yet Corr had picked it for an uncertain reason. "Sure, lead on then."

"As you say." He looked at the map one last time before folding it again. "Through here, the lake should be 3 miles or so away." He moved deeper into the forest, ignoring a small path between the trench-like rocks which would likely lead towards the shortcut Lucia had seen in the maps. Curious.

"Tell me, Lucy, do you know much of hunting and such? I just never would've expected someone like you to take the Exam."

_Questions is it? Very well. _"I know enough. And what do you mean with 'someone like me'? Do you too think a person needs to have hair on their chest to become a hunter? Can't a woman do a man's job just as efficiently?"

Strangely enough, he didn't seem intimidated at all by her response.

"Oh no, of course not. I meant the opposite, actually. I do not understand how someone as strong as yourself would join the Guild. There are far better jobs at the Capitol, you might even make it into the Management and Resources Body in Minegarde. You could become a noble!" He didn't stare at her, he was focused on the path but it was clear he was serious about this. She wasn't going to take any risks though.

"And die old in bed with a family and a house? A business and a legacy? Why would I want that?" She spoke as much to him as to herself. "Life wasn't made to be spent behind a desk, counting away the years, expecting everything to get better with money. Those who take that path take it out of cowardice and weakness. I will take as many risks as it takes until I am satisfied and then I will gladly die knowing I did everything I wanted with no regrets."

Corr's face turned hard as stone, he seemed to be thinking about her words, possibly trying to understand them. He bit his lip in concentration and then admitted in a low voice, "You might be right."

There was silence for the next few moments by the end of which they were starting to feel slightly uncomfortable. None of them wished to add anything to the conversation and both were now focused on their surroundings in case they might be spotted by the wyvern. The woods were quiet, unnervingly so, and it was getting darker by the minute. And creepier.

A few rather long and awkward minutes later, as both finally reached the lake area, Corr stopped on his tracks and suggested:

"I think we should take a small break here. What do you think?"

Before Lucia could answer however, a shrill screech shattered the silence, echoing through the air, coming from the other side of the lake. Across the mirror-like icy water they could see the distinct silhouette of a large Velociprey, one with a prominent crest and very large claws.

"What the-" Corr immediately drew out his Gunlance positioning himself defensively between the creature and Lucia. "Stick close." he ordered.

The creature was then joined by multiple others hiding in the shadows that started circling around the pair as they moved in closer. The blue scaled Velociprey were surrounding them slowly and surely and if there was one thing Lucia knew about Velociprey, it was their ability to cover long distances in a single bound and launch deadly jumping attacks.

"We should move to the wall! We must try and position ourselves so they can only attack from one direction!" She shouted. "Move back!"

For a hunter still uncomfortable in the ways of battle, the Velociprey could be a deadly opponent, especially in large groups. She could see Corr's body tensing up as he tried moving back towards a nearby wall, never letting his shield guard down. He whispered, "Do not run. They will track you down and kill you if you do. We're safe as long as we stick together and don't make any sudden movements."

The situation was dire, they had managed to slowly reach the closest wall but there was nowhere they could run now. Lucia slowly readied her bow and knocked an arrow in it which she proceeded to pull halfway through its draw-length. She quickly counted half a dozen of them but as she prepared to fire her arrow she noticed the leader jump in over the river.

"It's a Velocidrome!" She drew the arrow back to the bow's optimal extent and let it fly from her hands. The arrow hit the leader's side though it seemed unfazed by it. Instead, it turned its red eyes towards her and showed its nasty set of small sharp teeth while it growled menacingly. "Ha! As if a chicken with teeth could scare me!" she spat. She knocked another arrow into the bow but the moment she readied to fire she saw a dark brownish shape emerge from the shadows behind the path they had entered onto the midst of the Velociprey flock and it seemed familiar.

"Now!" shouted Max as he brought down Bone upon the skull of one of the bird wyverns with smashing power. There was a loud _crack! _as bone and skull met under the strength of the blow, resulting in a quick death for the animal. The moment the one member of the flock hit the ground there was a chain reaction from the rest of the predators. The one directly in front of Max was reading to jump but Corr was quick to shoot him down in an instant. Two shots later, three Velociprey were dead and one was seriously wounded. The tide was turning but the remaining two had the leader's support and they were sure to receive backup from other nearby members of the flock. One had managed to jump on Max and the other was going for Lucia. It was chaos, Corr soon saw himself face-to-face with a seven feet tall raptorian bird wyvern waiting to shred him to pieces with its elongated claws. There was no escape for him.

Max struggled to break free from the Velociprey's claws but eventually succeeded and quickly slammed the side of his blade-staff on the bird wyvern's head, stunning it. He got up, positioning himself for a new attack and as he tried a stab into the creature's chest he saw three arrows meet his opponent's side pushing it to the ground. It tried getting up but was swiftly stopped by another of Max's head smashes, spraying brains and blood all over the wet dirt. Lucia joined him as they turned to aid Corr who was struggling under the Velocidrome's assault.

Max hit it fast in its left leg connecting successfully as it let out another satisfying cracking sound the moment he crushed its knee. Lucia was jumping in as well, forsaking the safety of the back row and slashing the monster's face with one of her arrows in a swift movement.

Outmatched, the leader tried jumping back but, as soon as its rear legs hit the muddy floor, there was a large _BANG_ erupting from Corr's Gunlance which exploded in a wave of fire, illuminating the dark corners of the forest for a brief moment in a bright flash of light. After the flash, the Drome was nowhere to be seen, having apparently evaporated into thin air.

However, beyond the smoke and cinders they soon found the corpse of the proud red-crested leader floating in the lake's surface, ten feet away, filling its water with a blood red tinge. It was a gruesome sight, however satisfying, and Max was quick to fall on his knees as he tried holding back his need to puke.

"It… It was a close one wasn't it?" He was shaking with nausea and he felt feverish after the sudden exertion. He was still grasping Bone as hardly as he could, squeezing its bony hilt with all the strength he could muster. "Are… Are you two alright?"

No one had moved since the explosion though Lucia was now carefully folding her bow while she sat down on top of a large rock. She sighed heavily and looked at Max with her amber eyes. "You did well to help us. But how did you get here so fast? The map shows no shortcuts from your path to this one. You should have taken about twice as much as us to get here."

He did not reply, choosing instead to stare at the ground while he turned very silent. There was a brief moment of silence.

Corr was the first to speak. "He took no shortcut. He followed us." He turned to Max and there was no calm, no kindness in his cold blue eyes. Only controlled fury. "You did not trust me did you? You ignored my plan and chose to chase after us only for your own selfish reasons. Do you know why I sent you alone, Max?"

Max was ashamed for getting caught so bluntly but he could still stand his ground. "So that I could be Rathalos bait, I know. Fairly inconvenient I don't like dying, right?" He saw the poison in his words take no effect however as Corr seemed to have expected it.

"Not as inconvenient as your lack of trust. Did you really not understand how simple it was for us to act as decoys for the Rathalos and the Velociprey?" His voice shook in anger but he did not hold back his harsh words. "I did not expect to find a Velocidrome here but we would've been fine. And while I thought you were snatching the egg in safety you were actually tracking us? Ridiculous! You could have attracted more Prey or the wyvern itself! We ran a risk because of you and you spit on our sacrifice! What kind of fool are you?!"

Max was shocked, he simply had no words now, he just stood there, his mouth open in realization and surprise. He had been wrong, Corr had just been looking out for them and the mission.

"I- I didn't know…" He muttered in apology, fearful of Corr's gaze. This was embarrassing.

Lucia then said in a clear voice, "I don't care for what Max might've done wrong or right. I trust him and I understand the reasons behind his actions. The one I don't trust is you, Corr." He slowly turned towards her with a strange smile on his face but she couldn't care less for his teases at a moment like this. "Why did we take this path? Why did we not avoid the Prey flock by taking the shortcut in the map?"

"Because, Lucy, that area is too close to the nest. I saw that area in the map and I was certain of its danger. It is sure to be well under the wyvern's control not to mention we would have no trees to hide ourselves from its gaze. Would you rather face a few raptorians or a full-grown wyvern?" His smile was everything but comical, it was sad actually. He seemed torn inside, trying to hold back the pain as he was. It must be a bitter taste to bear so little trust among newly made friends. His was not an enviable position. "But enough of that, I'm sorry I did not explain myself Max but I was hoping you'd trust me. We can still fulfill our mission and pass the exam but we must hurry if we wish to." He folded his Gunlance in a swift movement and took his leave as he marched to the forest's exit by the lake. He held his back straight as he walked out with a raised head, not sparing them a second look.

The reaction from the other two was slow. Painfully so. Max was lying down on his knees, Bone in hand, unable to move just yet. And then he felt a hand over his shoulder. "Stand up. We must move quickly now before the day is done. We stand a bigger chance of stealing the egg if we act while its parents might be out during the day." He budged a little, she could see his white fingers clutching his Longsword with excessive force. His face was dark and somber. He needed to snap out of it. "Tell me Max, what is your dream?" He looked up to her with confusion in his eyes. He was tired and disappointed, he was in no condition to join them no matter how they dragged him to the field. He cleared his throat and whispered, barely able to force out the words, "To become a hunter?"

She smiled kindly, it was an honest smile and one she seldom showed. "That's right. So what are doing lying there in the ground? Don't you have any sense of honour? Don't you want to become a hunter?" Her words hit him hard, he had never questioned his dream but this small incident was destroying his spirit by the minute. He had to fight back, he couldn't let it all go to waste now, this was his dream and no one was going to stop him, he had to keep fighting.

"No! I do want to become a hunter! It's all I've ever wanted!"

"Then what are you waiting for? Failure is part of being a hunter, it's part of growing up and it is your job to make mistakes and learn from them! Life isn't easy but it was never meant for the weak. Don't you ever second guess yourself Max, it's pathetic." She was right, he would never go far in life if he kept fighting obstacles that weren't there. He had to move on.

"Let's roll!" he jumped on his feet and shot towards the way out as fast as he could, Longsword still in hand. "Thanks Lucy!" he shouted before disappearing after Corr.

Lucia let out another sigh. "Idiot." She smiled, got up from her kneeling position and went after her childhood friend.

* * *

Not too long after, the two finally caught up to Corr who seemed to be expecting them leaning on a very large rock that split the road in two.

"Corr! I'm sorry I didn't trust you, I thought-" But before he could properly apologize, Corr had a finger in front of his limps.

"_Shh_. Don't talk." He took out a large set of binoculars from within his Mafumofu clothes and leaned on the side of the rock, exposing himself to the least possible. "It's here."

Lucia tensed up immediately and reached for her bow while Max just stood there flabbergasted before going for his own weapon.

"Listen guys, we have a few moments while it's distracted so we're gonna take it. This might just be our chance so, on the count of three, we are going to dash across the hill for what seems to be about twenty yards. There is a series of ledges we may use to distance ourselves from the wyvern but we'll have to be quick alright?" He turned away from the rock's side and looked at Max. There was a pause, both teens knew what was coming. "I know what you're thinking. I don't deserve your trust. But right now, I need you to trust me Max." Corr was serious now, this was a crucial moment. He extended his hand. "Can you trust me?"

Again, another pause. Max was dead terrified of going into the same area as a Rathalos, he had never seen one in his life but he knew what it was capable of, judging by the stories. This was no bird wyvern they were about to face.

He took Corr's hand.

"I'm in." He smiled as his newest friend smiled back. No Rathalos would stand in their way now.

"Then let us be done with it, quick." He gestured Lucia to position herself in front of them while he stood behind Max as they all prepared for the race. "These are going to be the longest twenty yards in our lives. 3. 2… 1…" They all tensed up.

"Go!" They shot off from the brush next to the large rock, running like madmen as they blindly charged into the field, oblivious to whatever dangers expected them.

And then… nothing. They could see the ledges that led to the nest area but the Rathalos was nowhere to be seen, if there ever was one.

"I suppose maybe I'm not so trustworthy after all… You should be on your guard." Said the taunting voice behind them just before bursting out laughing. Max could scarcely believe it. He had just been sweating like a pig not ten seconds ago and now… instead of a ferocious Rathalos he found himself standing in front of a teary eyed Corr who had bent over himself while he tried to breathe for air as he laughed. "The look on your faces! Oh God, it was priceless! I can't believe you fell for it, oh boy!"

As the unknowing Corr laughed he was unable to notice a great shadow looming over him, a threat greater than any wyvern he could possibly imagine. A wrathful Lucia. She then spoke in a voice as cold as ice and as sharp as any blade,

"You will now tell me where the Rathalos is Corr or, I swear to God, if you ever wondered about the existence of an afterlife, you will soon find out." The laughter stopped. Then a frail voice spoke, "He's gone hunting. Won't be back for a while. The nest is defenseless." Corr managed to look up to her, a super human feat in the eyes of many in the village, and he asked in an even lower voice tone, "What will you do with me?"

She leaned over him and grabbed him from under his Mafumofu cap by his left ear which she proceeded to painfully pull up as Corr himself stood up almost as if lifted by her hand. Max found the whole scene quite amusing.

"You will be a good dog and you will fetch the egg for us as any dog would gladly do for his owner. You will be fast, you will be cautious and you will not attract unwanted attention lest I lose my newest pet. Is that clear, dog?" She held his ear higher than his head normally could which was more than enough to get poor Corr to almost stand on the tip of his feet. He nodded. "Good dog. Now bark."

"I'm… sorry?" He did not understand the request.

"I said. Bark." Her voice was cool and collected but the strength behind the command was undeniably merciless.

"Woof?"

"Bark." She pulled him higher up in the air.

"Wooof?" He was now in visible pain and clear panic even as Max struggled not to laugh where he stood.

"I. Said. Bark." She then stretched herself, pulling Corr's ear to its utmost limits.

"Wooooooooooooooooooooo-" Corr howled in pain, begging her to stop as he twisted and stretched his body. She eventually did so.

She let him go as he grabbed his bright red ear which seemed about ready to explode but it was not long before he dashed towards the cave entrance, holding on to the ear as he went. For the next few minutes, Max's sides hurt him so much he struggled for air in what seemed to him long hours of endless laughter.

* * *

**Post-chapter Note: **That chicken with teeth... So, who is so far your favorite character? Be sure to say so in the review section, it helps a lot.

And please review!


	4. Raiding the Wyvern's Nest

Author's Note: Finally back from vacation. Pretty big chapter over here... Totally worth it though.

* * *

**DISCLAIMER:** The following is a fan-made fiction based on the Monster Hunter series. I own only the story and characters, Monster Hunter itself is owned by Capcom.

If you enjoy the story so far, please feel free to review and leave your opinion. I will be sure to reply to any questions.

* * *

Corr's ear pulsed in waves of pain as he entered the cave that acted as the wyvern's nest, he could still feel where Lucia had grabbed him hurt quite a bit.

"Ow ow ow... Why did she have to do that? Can't she take a prank?" He asked himself still grabbing on to the ear, trying to ease the pain. "Ha! Here it is."

The cave was huge, large enough for three houses to fit inside its wide circular area. It was well illuminated as well, due to the lack of a ceiling which acted as entrance and exit for the wyvern couple. These characteristics made the cave the ideal nest, high above ground, beyond the reach of larger predators and even of the Velociprey as they would have to explore territory that was too far from their forests only to face the risks of approaching a Rathian's eggs. Sitting on the top of a ledge that ran across the wall were the eggs, three of them, neatly tucked into a large basket style nest.

The afternoon sun did not offer Corr much light or time to act as the father of those eggs was sure to be returning soon. He stumbled through the many small animal bones that decorated the cave's floor until he found a good place to climb up the ledge's wall, disgusted by the smell of wyvern dung that filled the air in conjunction with the nauseous stench of rotten flesh. Pulling himself onto the ledge, Corr immediately noticed the origin of the smell. In front of him was an Aptonoth carcass which seemed to be at best two days old given its condition. The flesh had yet to lose its redness and it was still relatively intact, given the circumstances. The scent was no less strong though.

Ignoring the dead herbivore, Corr went for the eggs. Only now that he had a good, close look to them did he realize how hard it would be to move them.

"Just how long have they been here? Had the Guild not sent someone as soon as they did these would've certainly hatched in a few more days…" The eggs were the size of a large man's head and they seemed twice as heavy. Corr couldn't help but feel incredibly sorry for the Rathalos. It was the law of survival, sure, but those eggs were the result of a life of struggle, hunger, pain and fear. They were likely the one shining light in the monster's existence despite all the fights it had been in and all the females it had courted. Destroying them now would destroy the Rathalos. There was much that Humanity did not know about monsters. What do they think? How do they live? Do they have a soul? Do they feel? Corr knew as much about these topics as anyone else but he firmly believed they felt emotions. He knew what it was like to _suffer_ in life and he was sure no living being on Earth could ever be immune to it, monsters included. Pain is what hurts people and urges them to live on. To him, there was no such thing as a heartless monster.

"Come here, you." He gently picked one up, the smallest of the three though not by a lot. Its weight was not what he was expecting. "Oh boy, you're heavy." He tried finding a good way to wrap his arms around the egg but to no avail so he chose to simply hold it in his arms as he would a person. "Ah, and now to turn back. It's gonna be a rough ride, buddy. I hope you're the adventurous type." Turning towards the ledge and gently jumping down its four feet height, Corr was starting to feel this was going to be a bumpy ride indeed. "I am no dog. Hmph!"

* * *

Outside was still warm under the sun's fading heat and Corr could already feel the sweat gathering in his skin. Mafumofu wasn't exactly spring fashion and spring was especially warm this year. He just hoped he didn't drop the egg in case he lost his focus. _Well, time to man up!_

Lucia and Max were waiting for him outside when he got out and he could still see some redness in Max's cheeks. Rascal had probably been laughing at him while Corr was doing all the hard work.

Climbing down the ledges in small, carefully aimed jumps, Corr quickly went up to meet them. Lucia had a very small, almost non-existent smile on her face as she watched him approach the group and she too seemed slightly amused with the current situation. She was mean. She was probably going to make him carry that egg back by himself for all he knew.

He said in a tired voice, "Okay guys, I have the egg. It's time we get a move on." He then took a decided step before he got on his fast pace again as he wanted to get as much distance between him and the nest as he could before the parents returned but Max got in his way.

"Corr, I've been checking the map and, though I do trust you, I still need to ask you. What path are we taking this time? The woods are sure to still have a few Velociprey even though they're leaderless now and the path that goes through the nest seems to be a large fall according to the picture in the map. Wouldn't the river be our best choice?"

Corr thought for a second, trying to remember in what direction the Rathalos was headed when he saw it leaving the nest some fifteen minutes ago. West. Exactly opposite to the river.

"You're right. The river is indeed our best choice right now, so let's hurry and take it. It's a shorter distance to the camp not to mention it's probably safer than the path we took earlier and it is currently wyvern free."

Max seemed satisfied with the plan but Lucia had kept quiet about it. Now that Corr thought about it, she had barely spoken since the start of the Quest. He still remembered what she had said in the forest and, though he disagreed with her opinion of life, she had shown to be sharp enough to think on her own when she voiced out her mistrust of him quite clearly. And then the look in her eyes when she grabbed his ear… _I need to be careful around her… I never know when I might step on a landmine_.

"Unless my master disagrees." He muttered a bit louder than he intended, noticeably loud enough for her to hear him. _Oh no… not my other ear!_ He expected a painful reaction. What he did not expect however, were her words.

"Don't call me that. You've suffered enough already." That… was surprisingly merciful of her. She was nicer than he thought. "Besides, dogs don't talk." She wasn't. She turned away leaving the two of them to follow after her as Max asked Corr if he needed help with the egg, an offer which he rejected. _I should really learn to keep my mouth shut. How long will this torture last?_

* * *

Not too long after, the three soon-to-be hunters reached a large field in the riverside where a small herd of ten or so wild boars had fallen asleep under the sun's last rays.

These, however, were no regular wild boars. These were Bullfangos.

Bullfangos are essentially large boars that are known to be extremely territorial. They are herbivores, although very aggressive ones and their tusks, which are present in both male and female, serve as a very effective defense from predators and hunters alike. Their furry coat was sure to protect their skin from predatory attacks as well.

And unfortunately for the group, the Bullfangos have a habit of choosing a 'shoot first, ask questions later' philosophy over more peaceful options. Needless to say, they were rather dangerous animals.

Corr was now sweating quite a bit under his clothes though it came more as a cause of the heat than of the herd itself. The Bullfangos didn't worry him at all actually. The three of them (four with the egg) would just need to turn back and find another path in order to avoid the beasts. But…

Suddenly, the sound of a hunting horn being blown from afar was heard echoing through the hills in a single clear note. Luckily for them, none of the Bullfangos seemed to wake up though some of them had budged slightly.

It took Corr a few seconds to remember what had been explained to them prior to their ride to the forest camp. They had been told that, while in a regular Quest the time you take to complete the goal defines your monetary reward, during the Hunter Exam this was simply replaced with a grading system.

According to this system, whoever finished the Exam in less than three hours (starting from the arrival on the site) would be awarded an 'S' grade, the highest possible score, earning a special ticket for use in the Armory while the following two hours would be an 'A' grade with a minor reward in money. 'B' was for the next five hours and 'C' for the five next to it, none of them with any rewards at all except for the Hunter Card itself since it was not necessary to achieve a very high level in order to pass the examination. 'D' and 'F' were failing grades of course.

"If we intend to finish the exam anytime soon, we may have to hurry up a little bit." Corr said calmly. "The Rathalos has yet to make an appearance so we shouldn't push our luck. The path we took earlier should be safe enough for us to cross it again without much problem."

Max's tanned brow wrinkled slightly as he raised an eyebrow. "Why not take this path?" He asked, his voice low enough to avoid alarming the herd. "We can easily move around the Bullfangos without going anywhere near them. Not through another path but through this one, close to the wall. Nice and slow. They won't even notice we were here!"

"They seem so peaceful." Lucia could have been discussing the weather or the price of a set of clothing instead of the current situation. They had already taken a few risks to reach the egg and a few more to collect it as well. All their efforts would be in vain if they dropped it in the midst of a stampede. "We should move quietly and quickly. I don't want to disturb them."

Everything fell dead quiet as the two of them turned to Corr. He seemed split between agreeing to their plan or turning back but they were right when they said the herd seemed fast asleep. It was the Rathalos that worried him. If it found them in the longer path behind them, they'd die. However, taking the short and quick path could potentially lower the chances of this happening.

He swallowed hard. "You guys are crazy, you know that? Fine, let's take this path." He took a quick look to make sure the Bullfangos were still in Dreamland. Judging by how relaxed they were, there was still time to make it across without them noticing them. It was now or never.

"Follow me." He crouched low enough to soften his steps but not completely as he still had to carry the egg in his arms while he moved. The other two followed him, just as silently.

They all headed towards the rocky wall that ran across the path's Western side trying to keep as much distance between them and the boars as they could.

Moving softly as if over a field of needles, the group was successful in passing through the first three of the twelve boars. Max was sweating nervously. One single false step and it would be 'pig stampede' time. And those tusks seemed sharp.

"You know, now that I think about, I'm hungrier than I thought. And a roasted pig would really hit the spot right about now." He smirked. "Haven't eaten anything since that meal in the cart on our way here."

"Hold your teeth Max, because if you go anywhere near waking one of these pigs, I'll punch a hole in them." Lucia threatened, getting a satisfactory 'Yikes!' out of him. They kept on going as quietly as ever.

Three more. There was no turning back now, they were halfway through to their goal. Just a little more, nice and slowly… They could feel the sunlight shining through the trees, bathing the group in its warmth.

But that moment of brief silence was not meant to last long. The Bullfangos' slumber was a deep one, sure, and the hunters' steps were virtually impossible to hear, even in the quiet afternoon's air, so, as long as they kept quiet, all was well.

Until they heard the Rathalos' roar blasting from the not-so-far away nest area.

"Shit! He's found out about the egg! Run!" Corr yelled before the waking herd could realize what was happening. The group ran as quickly as they could with Corr taking the lead, egg in arms, and Lucia and Max following him, respectively.

The Bullfangos were quicker though. Two of them blocked their path immediately just moments before charging at them with ramming speed. Corr panicked, he had no idea how to bypass the two beasts while he carried the egg. Then he felt a hand touch him in the shoulder and he saw Max pass next to him, through the herd's defenses, faster than he thought possible just before shouting, "Pass me the egg!"

It was ridiculous. It was dangerous. It was stupid. But he did it anyway.

"Catch!" He hauled the egg with both of his arms over the Bullfango herd just before being rammed himself. He felt like he had been punched by a mountain as he was knocked to the ground by the two boars. He had the air knocked out of him and it hurt, a lot. But then he heard two separate loud squeals near him and by the time he noticed it, two more Bullfangos died to Lucia's hastily fired arrows.

She folded her bow in a quick movement and yelled out in urgency, "What are you waiting for? Move!" She pulled him up and dashed after Max immediately afterwards, not losing a single moment.

Corr saw the opportunity and sped through the herd while it still seemed distracted by Max's sudden breach through their defenses.

They were almost there now, the Bullfangos had managed to pin them into the wall but Max's quick thinking had set chaos among the field. This was their opportunity, ten more yards and they'd be out of the herd's reach once they reached the narrow path that would act as their exit. Just a little more…

"Corr! Catch it!" Max was surrounded by the Bullfango between their herd and the wall behind him. He still held the egg in his arms perfectly intact but he needed to get rid of it in order to escape. Corr opened his arms in preparation for the toss, expecting Max's reaction.

"Here!" Another toss, right into Corr's arms who did not wait to see if his friend made it out unscratched. He had to get the egg to safety.

He turned and ran again, this time with a clear path ahead of him. He needed only to run to the slightly steep slope that ran along the rocky wall just five or so yards above the river's water. It was an extremely narrow path so, once the three of them reached it, the Bullfangos would have no choice but to turn back or fall into the water if they attempted to follow them.

Corr needed to escape. He had to. But he couldn't abandon his friends without making sure they were safe. He stopped just before the sharp turn that would save him and turned his head back to shout, "Guys! Hurry u-" And then he was suddenly interrupted by a yelling that commanded:

"DON'T STOOOOP!" But before Corr could dodge out of the way of his companions who were now just behind him with the remainder of the herd giving chase, he too was pushed over the edge of the cliff, still holding onto his wyvern egg as he was tackled off the ground, completely unaware of what had just happened.

* * *

The river's cool waters hit them hard as a wall of glass as they broke through its surface, plummeting down to its cold depths, joined by the Bullfango. They were lucky none of the boars had fallen on top of them or that none of the hunters hit a rock. They were mostly unharmed, if a bit disoriented by the strong current that was dragging them down the river towards shallow waters while they struggled for some air.

Waving his arms around in complete panic, Max tried clawing at the water as he hopelessly fought the strong current that spun him around like a leaf in the wind. His brain was racing with fear and he was dizzy now, not to mention frustrated by how useless the few swimming lessons he had had were now that he most needed them. To be fair, however, the others weren't faring much better than him. Corr seemed half unconscious as he spun around in a fetal position while Lucia was trying to swim over the likely dead boars that filled the river's surface since she was probably out of air herself.

They spent several moments like this before the current died down and lost its strength as they reached a large lake-like area. The water was colder here it seemed, but Max had no intention to stay still while he had the chance to get out.

Pushing aside a dead 'fango, he stressfully tried to swim to the surface, fighting the agony he felt clutching at his throat. He found a good area between the dead boars and erupted out of the water, gasping loudly as he did, feeling the air enter his lungs with a soothing feel as the pain left his aching throat. He took several loud breaths before finally calming down and looking for signs of his friends. He then saw the closest shore, on the western river bank, that seemed vaguely familiar and so he looked to the eastern side which he immediately recognized as the shore he had observed just after leaving the camp area at the start of their mission.

They were close now, a little bit more and their Examination would be over, granted Corr had been able to keep the egg intact. Everywhere he looked he saw nothing but trees and pigs, shore and water, despite his efforts to make out the shapes he could see under the water's surface. He took a deep breath and prepared to dive in search of his missing friends but it proved to be unnecessary as the water erupted with the sound of two loud gasps from Corr and Lucia as they both emerged just a few feet away from Max.

They seemed exhausted as well but otherwise mostly unharmed if not for a small gash over Corr's left eye which seemed to be bleeding a bit.

"Hey! Are you OK?" Max asked with a trembling voice, still shaking from the sudden action.

Lucia took a few moments to catch her breath before replying, "We're alright. I think he's fainted but I'll need your help to swim him across." She sighed. "He's still grabbing onto the egg… how ridiculous is that?"

Max swam to them, careful not to bump into any possibly still living Bullfango. So much for a glorious first Exam… they had been ambushed, they had argued, they had bumped into a Pelagi herd and even got thrown off a small cliff. Exhaustion was starting to take its toll on them, especially after their short swim down the river.

"You said he still has the egg, Lucy? But how? I thought he had blacked out when we hit him." Helping Lucia drag Corr to the shore, Max grabbed him under the arm, trying to grab a hold of the wyvern egg as well as he kicked at the water. Lucia applied the same method to aid him. They felt intrigued by how easy it was to drag their fainted friend in the water.

"I'm not sure, Max. He doesn't seem to hear us and yet he won't let go the egg either. Let's just pull him to the beach for now, we need rest." He nodded, proceeding with his efforts.

They soon reached the river bank, soaked from head to toe and exhausted from dragging Corr around. They sat down in the grass next to the Aptonoth herd that eyed them with suspicion but they did not care, they were too tired to care. They spent a few seconds like this, resting their tired muscles under the setting sun, taking in the sights. Lucia seemed much more tired than she let on as she kept breathing rather loudly. Her female Leather Gunner armor was drenched and heavy with the absorbed water, much like Max's and her face was bright red with the blood flow. She carefully removed her Leather Cap to let her light blue hair loosen itself over her back, falling down like a cascade of wet blue whips.

The air was pleasantly warm and there was little to no more wind than the occasional summer breeze. They would've slept if not for Corr's sudden coughs, spewing out water in small amounts. They sat him up, holding his back to avoid him swallowing any of the water he might cough up. When he was finally done and his lungs were clean, he gently lied down again with the help of the two. And then he asked in a weak voice,

"I… Where am I?" His wet black hairs covered the front of his face, hiding it from the sun but they could see he had his eyes closed.

"You fainted. We were worried about you at first but you were so focused on grabbing onto the egg we didn't dare to wake you up. Can you hear me?" Max asked.

"I- Oh… My head…" He bobbed his head left and right trying to find a good spot to leave it still.

"You shouldn't complain too much. Do you know where we are now?" Lucia asked him as she looked into the distance, her amber eyes shining with the sun's rays. "We're 30 yards away from camp and, thanks to your effort to keep the egg safe, 30 yards from success as well." She looked back at him. "Do try and keep it up."

Corr sat up still grabbing on to both the egg and his aching head before taking a good look around to see exactly where he was. "Isn't this… the field where we were supposed to split up?"

"Yup." Max replied. "The one we saw just outside the campsite. Now we just need get the egg there and it's 'mission accomplished'." He stood up, spinning his head in a dog-like manner to shake off the water in his hair. He quickly checked his pockets to see if everything was where it should be and threw away the few pebbles he found inside them. "Won't be long now. Just a few more steps and we become official hunters! We can't stop now."

He then took the egg from under Corr's arm and picked it up himself, holding it between his arms. "So let's finish this." He said confidently as he started slowly walking towards the slope that lead to the camp area, towards their goal.

Corr then tried getting up but as he attempted to fight the dizziness that frustrated him, he saw a hand extended in front of him. He looked up to see Lucia's cool eyes observing him. He took a few moments to realize she was expecting him.

"I- huh, thanks." Corr mumbled while he took her hand in his, standing up carefully not to shake his head too much.

She answered him by pulling him up silently before quickly standing away from him and giving him a short "No problem."

She then turned round on her feet and left after Max, her eyes briefly brushing past Corr, expressionless yet disconcerting. Unconsciously, he let his mouth open stupidly in surprise as he saw her slim back fading from his field of view. On occasion he had the feeling, just for a few instants, that she did not care much about anything, but sometimes he felt it was not so, that maybe she did care. But what could possibly be going through her mind? She was so… odd.

Standing amidst of the Herbivore dung as he was, reflecting upon this day's events, Corr was absolutely clueless about what to make of his two partners. They were like polar opposites.

Max had betrayed his trust right at the start for no apparent reason other than childish mistrust and that was a pretty bad first impression. He seemed to mean well, sure, but his behavior was not only irresponsible as it was also dangerous to the group. They had survived the Velociprey pack but only because they had been lucky. And luck wasn't the sort of thing Corr thought hunters should rely on. And yet, Max seemed honest enough. And a somewhat capable fighter to boot.

As for Lucia… she was easily the weirdest of the group. She rarely ever spoke and her cool manners weren't too friendly either. Her little 'Dog' stunt had annoyed him but at least it showed she wasn't soulless and she HAD expressed a desire to live without regrets when they spoke in the forest. As a hunter, she seemed good enough to stay out of the way and that was enough for Corr. She was strange indeed.

Waking from his thoughts, Corr realized he had been left behind. He stood up and prepared to leave after his partners before whispering quietly to himself, "Could be worse."

* * *

Back in the camp, the group finally reached the red box that would be taken away with them on the way back to Pokke. They opened its lid and carefully placed the egg in it.

"Ha! A job well done, young 'uns! You look like y'even took yer sweet time to go for a dip in the river, it seems. Is bein' a hunter as easy as it looks?" The old cart driver had returned or, better saying, had been expecting them. He was sitting on a rock next to the cart, holding a knife and a wooden figurine which he carefully stored back inside his pockets after cleaning its carved surface. "Ready to head back?" he asked.

"We're ready." Replied Lucia as the boys picked up the red box and brought it to the cart. Once they had made sure the box was securely locked onto the cart, they went back to close the tent and retrieve the blue box before finally climbing onto the cart as well. One would think the cargo would be too much for the not-so-large cart or the Aptonoth that pulled it but both the cartwheels and the Herbivore seemed unfazed by the added weight.

Just as everyone prepared for the trip back, the driver decided to ask a few more questions.

"So! An 'A', huh? Guess the old 'Los' wasn't home, eh?" He climbed onto his seat and added, "It's going to be a while 'fore we get home. So why don't you tell me how it all went?"

* * *

Some three hours later, they were finally reaching the village, having told the old cart driver all about their day at the Exam. He seemed to find the Bullfango part exceptionally funny despite the death of nine or so boars at the end of it and he was also interested in the Velocidrome that had attacked them.

"You say you didn't carve it? That's a shame, that's what it is, wasting away some good materials right there. Even if you did blow it to smithereens I'll bet there would still be something of use in its pieces. A damn shame." He did not seem upset, just slightly disappointed with the group. He kept his eyes on the road while he spoke with them though he now looked a bit lost in his thoughts, not paying the road much attention. They adjusted their positions, as the Guild Outpost could already be seen in-between the trees that ran alongside the road. Just a couple more yards riding up the steep path they were on and they'd reach it.

"We didn't have the time and we wanted to get a good grade so we had to leave it where it was. We could've scored an 'S' if we hadn't been ambushed like that." Max objected as he found a better position to sit in as the two boxes greatly confined their space within the cart.

The old man nodded. "Yeah, ya might've scored a better grade but what of safety? Ya think the monsters woulda let ya?" He eyed Max seriously. "One o' these days that haste o' yours is gonna be trouble, I'll tell ya that."

The man then returned to his driving, twisting and pulling the reigns left and right as they went up the steep slope right in front of the Outpost exit.

Nervously, Max checked the chains that held the boxes in their places to make sure they didn't crush him the moment the cart started going uphill. He crouched down, trying to hold the boxes as if they might suddenly break free from the chains if he didn't. Luckily, the day had no more surprises scheduled for the hunters as their climb was crush-free.

Only once they reached the top and climbed out to help with unloading the cargo did Max notice the time. Judging by the day's fading light, it should be either seven or eight in the afternoon. Doing some quick math he came to the conclusion he wasn't too far from the truth. They had left HQ at about eleven o' clock in the morning, traveled for three hours to the Quest objective and spent another three or so hours there. That, plus the trip back, gave them a total nine or ten hours out in the wild so it should be about eight or nine in the afternoon. No wonder he was so hungry.

* * *

Inside the Outpost's Gathering Hall was… absolutely no one. No one knew they would finish the Exam so soon so it was understandable. The torches were still burning though so someone must be expecting whatever recruits came back. After all, there was a certain protocol to be followed.

Surely enough, they saw the Guild receptionist waving her arm in the air, calling them over. It was not the same girl that had briefed them prior to the Exam, this girl looked older and noticeably taller, though not exceptionally so. Luckily, she looked more professional than the first one.

The tired trio made its way to her desk with heavy steps as they felt the Hall's warmth softening their bodies. Max almost wished the Guild Outpost had beds available where hunters might sleep, even if it meant not sleeping at home. And then, as they approached the desk, the receptionist announced cheerfully:

"Congratulations on successfully completing your Hunter Exam! As protocol follows I will now grant you your Hunter Card, which is also your Hunter License, and whatever reward you might've earned regarding your Exam performance."

She looked indeed to be more responsible than the morning receptionist but there were a few curious similarities between the two. Both had the same chocolate colored hair and the same black eyes, not to mention how alike their facial features looked. Max, however, was too tired to notice. She continued.

"The Guild Card is your hunter ID. Besides your name, it lists what weapons you have an affinity for, what titles you have achieved and what awards you have been granted. This is very important for your overall curriculum so always try and do your best to earn as many awards as you can in order to get a promotion! On a more professional note, it also identifies your Hunter Rank, giving you access to different areas and Quests, and your Hunter ID number, so do take good care of it OK? We may provide you with another Card if you lose yours but try to avoid this. Am I going too fast?"

She paused to show them a beautiful, small smile. She was pretty, Max wouldn't have minded to have a chat with her every now and then, her voice was kind and soothing and she seemed nice enough. He mentally slapped the back of his head before he said anything stupid or lost track of what she might say.

"No?" She pulled out a Guild Card from behind the desk and laid it on top of it where everyone could see it clearly "Then I shall explain Awards. This section of the Guild Card here shows whatever awards you may have earned from the Guild in recognition of your accomplishments. These awards will be listed on your card, here at the Guild Outpost, and can be decisive in the possibility of promotion." She flipped the card to show its front which featured a large blank space where 'Portrait' could be and several other blank stripes that had words such as 'Weapon Affinities' and 'Name'. The girl pointed to one that said 'Title'.

"Finally, let see titles. Titles are a measure of how you are viewed around the world." She said simply. "If you pile up achievements like completing numerous Quests, slaying giant monsters, or obtaining many rare weapons, your fame will naturally expand. The Guild will take this into account and assign you a suitable title. You may request that your title be changed to suit your tastes but remember that you will be less popular and harder to identify by other hunters."

"That completes our examination of the Guild Card."

She took the Card back under the desk and withdrew three similar ones, that seemed less worn out by time, which she held in her hand. "These will temporarily replace your Guild Cards which you will have to pick up in a week or so. Please take a moment to write down your names in your respective cards…" She provided them with quill pens and an ink bottle as they took turns writing down their names. Once they were done, she took the cards back and stamped them after a quick inspection. Curiously, the stamp was that of a silver 'S' letter over the 'Portrait' area. She gave the cards back. "Try not to lose these. Also, as the Guild cart driver verified due to your delay in finding proper hunting ground and your following success in completing the Exam, you shall all be awarded the three hour completion 'S' score and respective compensation." Wait, an 'S' grade? That's impossible, the Exam was completed in little less than four hours, not three! Unless the driver…

Before any of his companions could 'mess up' the situation, Max took a deep bow before the receptionist's desk and half yelled, "I would like to thank you and the Guild for your kindness! I simply have no words! But please…" He looked up to meet the receptionist's eyes. "Could I have your name?"

The girl was surprised at first but she soon smiled at his sudden outburst. The rest of the team however was far from composed. Lucia's eyes looked surprised for once and she had actually raised a thin eyebrow which was a big deal coming from her not to mention how Corr's chin threatened to hit the ground about as much as his eyebrows might hit the ceiling. They looked absolutely shocked.

Max kept a composed face though he could feel pockets of sweat forming under his armpits and over his forehead. He did not stand up from his bow as he was still expecting an answer but he had to endure the embarrassment until then.

"It's Celia. And you don't have to bow, it's hardly necessary, really." Max stood up. She seemed calm and collected which only made it harder for Max to hold his gaze. "It is very noble of you to thank the Guild so fervently but don't you think it's a bit too soon to do it? After all, you haven't even gotten your hands on the reward!" She laughed lightly. "Listen, I have here three Blacksmith Tickets, that's one for each of you, that will pay your weapon upgrades at the village's smith shop just once, regardless of cost. In addition, you will all be given an award that will be marked on your Guild Cards as a sign of talent and skill. These essentially make up your reward for completing the Exam within three hours of its start. Very well done!"

The team was unsure on how to react, they felt happy about having their efforts pay off yet they knew it wasn't true they had earned it. The cart driver must've made up some excuse to get them the score but, as much as they appreciated it, they thought it wasn't fair. Thing was, Max wanted that 'S' badly… and he had done a pretty daring stunt to get it. To spill the beans and turn the rest of the team and the driver over seemed… even worse.

Lucia took a courteous short bow as she bent her neck down and said, "Thank you for your service. You have been most helpful. May we leave?" She held her head up, looking towards Celia. "We are very tired and our parents will be expecting us." She then stood up again, looking sincerely tired. Max himself was quite hungry as well, actually.

"Actually…" Corr took a sidestep to face both Celia and his party members, distancing himself slightly. "I'll have to stay back this time. The Guild offers beds for a small fee to all of its members and I intend to take it."

"What? Why? Why won't you go home?" Max asked. "Do you live really that far from Pokke?"

"Yes. It is actually pretty far away from here so there's no use in living there anymore. I guess I'm here to stay." He shrugged his slightly broad shoulders in a matter-of-fact way.

"Then how about you have dinner at my house? We don't have any spare beds but we do have a lot of food we won't be able to eat so why don't you give us a help?" He put up a huge smile just picturing Corr's face once he saw the Wyvernfish.

Corr opened his mouth hesitantly for a second then he closed it and crossed his arms, focusing on an answer. There was no reason to turn the offer down… and he WAS hungry. He uncrossed his arms and said, "I guess it's OK. Let's go then."

Before the team could turn away, however, Celia had one more request.

"Oh, before you go… I usually try and befriend all members of the Guild so, if you wouldn't mind… Could I have your names, please?" She smiled hopefully.

Max blushed but Corr had it covered for him.

"I am Corr, I'm just a fisher boy from a village near the Snowy Mountains. This here is Max and the girl is Lucia, though I don't know much about them, they seem to be good folk and great friends. I just wish to befriend just as much as you do. They impress me greatly." He looked at Max's surprised face. The boy didn't seem to believe what his ears were hearing but, mistrusting as Corr might be, he could not deny the sincere joy he saw welling up in his newest friend's brown eyes.

* * *

**Post-chapter Note: **Had a pretty hard time writing this up and summer vacation definitely delayed it but next chapters are sure to be simpler if a bit shorter.

As always, thanks for reading.


	5. Help for the Festival

A/N: Finally out. Hope you enjoy.

* * *

**DISCLAIMER:** The following is a fan-made fiction based on the Monster Hunter series. I own only the story and characters, Monster Hunter itself is owned by Capcom.

If you enjoy the story so far, please feel free to review and leave your opinion. I will be sure to reply to any questions.

* * *

That day had been a pleasant one. Getting the Exam done, making some friends. Max was grateful. The Exam hadn't gone exactly according to plan but, after all the ups and downs, he had made a friend. Sure, they had started off with the wrong foot but Max was sure Corr would forgive him.

In the end, Corr wasn't so bad at all. Go figure.

Just as the group exited the Guild Outpost after saying their farewells to Celia, Max took a few quick steps ahead and stopped directly in front of Corr.

"I, huh… guess that was a pretty embarrassing situation back there, at the Exam I mean." He sighed. "Still, paranoia aside, I think we made a good team when the Velociprey attacked. Don't you think so?" He smiled awkwardly, mentally praying for mercy to whatever Gods would hear him.

Corr said nothing for a few seconds. He just stood there, took a deep breath and gazed seriously towards Max before coldly saying:

"The situation was… embarrassing indeed. If you hadn't gone out of your way to jeopardize the whole plan we might've actually earned that score instead of having an old toothless cart driver give it to us out of pity." He spoke with calm words but to Max they felt like piercing knives. His face bore a mask of flawless self-control, no doubt to hide what anger he might still be holding. "Not that I care about what grade we get, honestly, but the fact that you can behave so irresponsibly during a mission is worrisome. If you pull another stunt like that in a crucial moment in our future, what do you think will happen to us?"

Only silence answered him. It was true. If they wanted to work as a team, mutual trust was important.

"Unfortunately, however, you weren't the only one to screw up." Max looked up, thinking about the mercy he had prayed for. But the only thing he saw in Corr's empty eyes was quick recollection. "If your lack of trust endangered us, it was only because I failed to explain myself properly. I should've told you why you were being sent alone and why we did not follow the same path. A stupid mistake, yeah, but it could've killed us. But enough with our mutual depression now, or I won't even be able to remember what we achieved today."

He turned to Lucia, who had just been standing next to the duo, silently listening to their conversation.

"What about you? Don't you ever say anything?"

She did not reply, instead, she just looked aside, apparently ignoring him completely. After a few moments she whispered:

"I don't think it was Max's fault. We barely know you and yet you expected us to follow your orders in a Rathalos Quest. Weak leadership skills could be to blame but, judging by how quickly you thought out the plan itself, I'll just say its plain overconfidence. You're not a bad leader but you're a pretty inexperienced one."

Now it was Corr's turn to be surprised. Not only did she actually speak up for once, she did so to spit on his pride. Shamefully though, it was also the truth. He HAD been too confident in his own skills to the point of barely even explaining them.

"Well, I guess this is one of those humbling days…" He conceded. He turned to Max again. "Does this mean dinner is cancelled? I'm starving and I haven't got anything except the Guild's food."

Sighing heavily for a second, Max replied, "If we hurry we might just make it. I just hope there's enough food to fill up how empty I feel." Everyone suddenly gave him a rather worried look but he soon added, "Just kidding… I'm not THAT depressed. See you tomorrow Lucy."

"Yeah. See ya, then." She answered, waving her hand to them before turning away, heading towards the back of the Armory.

"What a day…" sighed Max again as they turned to the road.

* * *

Sometime after, they finally reached Max's house where they were unexpectedly greeted by the door by none other than a sweat covered Rick who, on a side-note, seemed to be wearing an apron. A strange phenomenon indeed.

"Huh… Dad? Why are you wearing Mom's apron?" Max asked when he saw his father open the door for them. He seemed blissful if a bit breathless. His white hair was dripping with sweat and his brow was covered in it too. Whatever workout he was doing it was a strange one to require a worn apron. Only the blacksmith, Ferguson, was ever seen in such a state after a good day in the forge.

Rick took a few moments to cook up an answer… so to speak.

"I was in the kitchen. Your mother slept in most of the morning so I had plenty of time to entertain myself around the house. I took care of the garden, went to the market to do some shopping and I was just cooking dinner now. How did it go?" He asked confidently.

"We passed. This is Corr, huh…" he hesitated for a moment. Would it be rude to mention Corr's strange surname?

"Fitzroy. Corr Fitzroy." He stretched out a hand which Rick politely shook. "It is a pleasure to meet you sir. I was part of Max's hunting group at the Exam today and, though I'd like to properly introduce myself, both Max and I are starving. Now, I know I shouldn't force myself into your home especially without paying proper tribute but I promise to repay my debt the moment I'm able to. So will you-"

"'Course I will! Get in, you numbnuts!" He left, leaving the door open for them to enter. Max went in as if nothing much had happened but Corr felt at a loss for the strange courtesy of the house. He went in as well.

Now, Corr was used to warm environments and he had been invited to the houses of many of his friends back in his village. What he did not recognize, however, was the way such a small house as Max's seemed larger on the inside. Currently standing in the hall, Corr could both see the kitchen and the bedrooms opposite to it yet the strange hospitality of the home made it seem there was more to it. The hallway, for example, featured a nice blue couch next to the window that oversaw the village's main road and a bookshelf next to it fully stocked in books of all colors and sizes. Opposite to it, next to the bedrooms was a very large wardrobe possibly for whenever the family might leave in need of heavier clothing.

"Corr! We're in the kitchen!" Looking into the dining room he found Max and Rick arguing behind the counter while a woman sat at the dinner table directly in front of the door. It was a thin, rather beautiful looking woman with long golden hair and small green eyes. She seemed old enough to be Max's mother despite looking relatively young so Corr addressed her as such.

"Good evening. Are you Max's mother perhaps?" He asked. She smiled warmly before answering.

"Indeed I am. And you are Corr, I take it? I couldn't help hearing you by the door." He nodded before sitting down opposite to her. It was rude to sit next to another man's wife, however old she may be. "It seems today I am robbed of my rule over the kitchen. My dear husband seems to have taken eighteen years to remember that he too knows how to cook."

"Now now, Jeanne dear. You know I am still not familiar with this land's customs." Said Rick's voice from behind the counter. "Back in my homeland a man tends to the family's needs while the wife takes care of the house so, as you know, the kitchen is hardly my natural habitat."

"And yet you seem to do incredibly well in it not to mention that the cultural excuse is growing a bit old. Yet again, eighteen years old to be exact." She sniffed the air for a moment and asked, "Is dinner ready?"

Out of the kitchen came one hasty man who seemed to have forgotten just how relatively warm the cooking pot was. By 'relatively' one must assume it was, again, relative to the heat coming from the wood oven. Very hot indeed.

"Ow ow owow… Damn, this thing is hot!" He said as he let the pot fall onto the centre of the table, luckily avoiding any incidents or spilling any of the soup. Corr couldn't help but sigh at how easily the man had forgotten to wear cooking mittens. Max, on the other hand was laughing at the scene. Must be a normal thing around here. "Max, get the ladle, I'm hungry too."

* * *

Slowly at first, but in progressively faster pace, dinner got under way and soon they talked freely over recent events. They went through the morning wait for the Exam, how Corr had joined the group and the Exam itself. Max spoke with enthusiasm over the places they had seen and of how different habitats had come into view as they made their way to the hills for the Exam.

"It was amazing." He said. "I thought things would look smaller though, simpler. But no, it was all huge! The forest's trees, the massive hills we saw all over the place, even the river we saw went in a single direction for as far as I could see! It was all so large and there were so many of them… And when we entered the forest it seemed as though it was a completely different world, the trees covered most of the sun and I couldn't see anything around me for 20 or so yards. It was like a green house with a mossy floor. I was stunned."

Corr chuckled and nearly choked on his water as he heard the speech. "It seems almost as though you've never seen a tree in your life before. Was it your first time visiting the hills area?" He took a sip from his water flagon to clear his throat.

Max looked a bit lost for a few moments. He said nothing and fell into an almost embarrassed silence. _Did I anger him? Why? It wasn't the tree joke, certainly! _Corr waited for an answer.

"Maybe it's because it was Max's first time out in the open, actually." Said Rick. "He's never left the village before except to play with his friends by the lake or to practice his archery with me. I've been taking him down to that lake ever since he's been five but he's never really been out there." Rick toyed with his fork while he seemed lost in thought. "Which reminds me, Corr. Judging by your name, is it safe to assume you are not from Pokke?"

For once, Corr looked a bit flustered and hesitated to respond. Then he looked down to his plate and said:

"I am not from Pokke, no. Actually, I'm not even from around here." His voice seemed to trail down nervously before he spoke up again. "I am from the city of Loc Lac away in the Great Desert. I've been living in a nearby village for a few months now but I was born and raised in Loc Lac." He seemed proud of his origins.

Max was shocked. This guy had been telling them he was from a fish village and now he says he's from a city across the ocean. _What the hell?_

"It's quite the distance from Loc Lac to Pokke. Did you always travel alone?"

"Yes, I did. It is not a trip I wish to repeat anytime soon, though. The road is just ruthless."

"Is that so? I've never been to Loc Lac and crossing the ocean is a bit of a stretch both in distance and expenses. But at least now Max has someone to make sure he doesn't screw up. Poor Lucia must be dead tired of babysitting him."

"Hey! What the hell, Dad?!"

"Oh, don't you try and deny it, boy! Shall I ask Mr. Fitzroy here how many times she probably had to save your ass today?"

"We were a team! Team members help each other!"

* * *

Despite Max's protests, Rick never really dropped the argument for the rest of the night. They spent another hour talking it out until Corr asked for permission to leave. Max took this as a chance to escape his father's taunts and so he took it.

"So, Corr, wanna take a look around the village tomorrow?" He said as they stepped outside. "I'm guessing you haven't had time to see anything yet so we could show you around."

"Sure. I'll be by the Outpost tomorrow so come by whenever you want. I could use a guided tour." He said as he stepped away. "And Max. I'm sorry I didn't tell you guys where I was from but I just don't want to have anything to do with that place anymore. I guess I lied because I want to belong here and also because Loc Lac isn't my home anymore. So just be patient and one day I will tell you why. Can you wait that long?"

"I- Sure. Just don't lie anymore alright? You make it hard for me to trust you when you keep so many secrets to yourself. It's frustrating. You keep talking about trust but, so far, you've just made it hard for us to even know you! How can you expect me to trust someone I don't even know?!"

Corr seemed shocked at Max's slight outburst. He bit his lip in thought and said, "Alright then. I guess I've been acting like a bit of a prick so far, haven't I? I know it's hard to work with me when I tell you so little and hide so much but there's just no way I can make you understand how little I want to talk about it. But as long as we join forces and you let me keep these secrets to myself, we'll be safe so how about that? No questions, no bed-time stories, no names. Doesn't that appeal to you?"

Max hesitated for a second. He said nothing for a few seconds but he eventually answered, "I guess you're right. I don't have the right to question everything about you or to know anything at all for that matter. I mean, it doesn't matter as long as we work as a team but I hoped we could get along too. Time will tell won't it?"

"I'm sure it will. I have a feeling I was right to partner with you. But I have to go now. Thanks for the meal."

"See ya tomorrow then. Don't forget we'll drop by." Max shouted out into the night.

"Don't worry, I won't!"

He saw Corr distancing himself from the house, melding with the darkness as he faded away from his sight.

"What a day…" He sighed as he picked up his temporary Hunter's License from his front pocket and held it up in the light coming from the house lamps as he tried to get a good look at it.

"Can I really be free with this? Is this really what freedom feels like?" Honestly, Max couldn't feel a single thing different from usual except how tired and full of food he was. "Man, I just hope being a hunter is as good as I dreamed. Money isn't all that matters…"

"Max! Where did you go? You need to clean the kitchen before going to bed!" Came a female voice from inside the house.

"But Mom, do I really have to?! I just became a hunter!"

"Your father's been one for the past 20 or so years and you don't see him slaking around! Now get back inside, getting cold outside."

He sighed again as he turned to the door. "Well, no chance now." He said while he walked in, puffing out his chest and throwing back his shoulders. "Guess there's only one way to go."

* * *

Pretty soon enough, Max was done with cleaning the dishes. His whole body was begging for rest now, his shoulders and feet ached him uncomfortably and his knees snapped every time he bent them. Tired, he crawled his way through the hallway towards his room. It was extremely dark so he struggled in the shadows for a few moments before he found his bed. He quickly undressed and threw the sweaty clothes aside as he thought back on the day's events.

It was hard to say what his future had in store for him, he was now part of a strong group of hunters like him that he got along with and life seemed to be taking the right course. And yet, he couldn't scratch off the feeling there was something more to it. Something more to life.

It took Max some time to quiet his mind down and relax. He rolled around in his bed sheets looking for a more comfortable position which he was having trouble finding. Eventually giving up on his search, he eventually succumbed to sleep and was able to forget it all, if for a brief moment. He shouldn't worry, he had friends, a loving family, a career he loved and he was as healthy as he could be. He should be happy.

* * *

"I can't believe he's a hunter now. His life is no longer safe and simple as it's always been. He's my dear boy and I want the best for him but I wonder how much this will change him... For the better or worse." Jeanne whispered as she spied on her dormant son from across the room, hiding behind the half-open door. "I just hope he doesn't get hurt."

"That's up to him. There is nothing we can do if he thinks the world is pink and full of roses. He will have to learn it the hard way." Rick said as he joined his worrisome wife. He laid his hand on her shoulder reassuringly. "But I worry too. This reminds me... That boy. What do you think of him?"

"Corr? He seemed kind enough. A little too uptight, sure, but kind nonetheless. Why?"

"'Cause I wonder if there's more to him than just that. He looks different from others his age." He sighed. "Well, I'm off to bed. Shall we go?"

"Yes." Jeanne said as she took Rick's extended hand. "Let's go."

* * *

Max was awoken by the morning sun intruding through his open window. He immediately twisted round to face the outside only to find himself looking at Lucia who was seemed to have opened his window from the outside. The boy scrambled to his feet and looked up at the girl, while observing that it was still quite early judging by the sun's position down in the horizon.

"Going to visit Corr, if you want to join me." Said Lucia bluntly by way of explanation. "There's a merchant up there by the Outpost talking about the spring festival. If we hurry we might just get a few items on discount." The stone-faced girl stepped back as Max forced on his clean clothes and picked up his coin purse. "I'll be waiting." She said as she marched off to the front of the house's entrance.

Max shook the last remaining sleep from his head as he opened his purse, checked its contents, and started up towards the door as he embarrassingly realized he had been naked if not for his trousers.

The light of the rising sun hit his skin for the second time that day as he opened the door and stepped out into the outside. He lifted his arm over his eyes, the sun's rays blinding him slightly. The grass was humid as always, but there was no snow. The brown mud underneath Max's boots was old and dried so it was probably yesterday's mud. It must've rained the previous night despite the eve's warmth. Summer was in the air.

Max breathed deeply, inhaling the cool morning air as he heard the crowd that was already up and running around as usual in the mornings. The blacksmith was loudly talking to a customer over by his shop but there was no sign of Lucia. Max shifted his gaze to the Outpost down the road. The Outpost's doors were open so hunters and citizens alike passed through them freely and, next to the entrance was a tiny old lady who seemed a bit lost in the middle of the village.

She kept looking left and right as if looking for something in particular but she didn't seem to need any help as she ignored the passersby.

Max was interested, the lady was positioned right in front of a large cart filled with goods he assumed were hers so it was guess she was the merchant Lucia had mentioned. He jogged down the small ledge, away from his house and into the street. He nodded as he saw Lucia waiting for him. The girl's arms were folded under her breasts in an impatient manner and she didn't lose time greeting him.

"I was starting to wonder if you had become a little girl to take this long to get ready. Come on, she's right over there." She said before she stalked off in long strides towards the old woman, giving Max no time to answer. He just grunted and followed after her as he started feeling his legs ache a bit from the previous day's stress but he didn't slow down at all. He too was curious about the festival.

And yet, Max had known Lucia for many years now and, though she always did show a relatively strong interest in the seasonal festival, she seemed slightly hasty today. Lucia was not a very typically hasty person, she was blunt and straight-to-the-point but she rarely ever rushed people for matters of small importance except, perhaps, clothes.

She didn't really seem like it but Lucia had a very sharp and demanding sense of fashion which went completely against her tomboyish ways. She would always dress extremely well in parties and formal village events despite her usual favor of more practical, high-quality everyday clothing. This did pull some expenses but her father was more than happy and able to fulfill her needs.

Max rarely questioned her actions. She was smart and strong so he had always gone with the flow, her flow. But even though he did have that sense of trust, he still wondered what could've gotten her in such a hurry this time.

They soon reached the old lady who recognized Lucia as she saw her approaching. Close up, Max could see the many varieties of items in the shopping cart, most of them suited for hunters while others had multiple everyday uses such as medicinal potions and various seeds for farming. There were even some monster materials such as bones and fangs but Max didn't recognize most of it so he left it.

"Well, hello there, youngsters. Are you here to buy anything, this time?" Spoke the old lady first. She looked mostly at Max in hopes of a possible customer.

"No, thanks. We don't really need anything. " Lucia said. "I was wondering though, last time I came here you told me you were somehow involved with the Fire Festival and you said you needed something for it. What exactly was it you needed?"

Max didn't bother interrupting, he just kept silent and let things explain themselves.

"Well, that depends entirely on your skill as hunters so I might just set up a 300z contract reward at the Guild but it would have to be completed today." She answered, her voice bearing a deceptively cunning tone. "I'm sure you children won't have a problem completing it since it's just a Bulldrome but if you feel you're not up to it then…" She shrugged her bony shoulders in a disappointed manner. "I guess there won't be any salted pork this year. A shame, really."

Max was ready to open his mouth to speak out how he'd take the contract before Lucia held a hand in front of him, signaling him to stay quiet. "We are more than prepared for the job. Unfortunately, good lady, we will not take a Quest to hunt a Bulldrome for just 300z. The Guild probably wouldn't even allow it but, if you were to raise the contract reward up to 1000z and the contract itself to 250z, I'm sure the Guild would accept it." She folded her arms in her typical way. "Do remember that it's cheaper if you hire us directly through the village elder, though."

The old lady nodded her tiny head in agreement, and then suddenly shook it reluctantly. "No, no, it's too expensive. I'd have a far better deal back in Kokoto, 1000 is too much."

"That's because this isn't Kokoto and here we pay a lot more for most things while we earn more than the rest of the surrounding villages. In that sense, if you manage to afford the capturing of a Bulldrome, it only makes sense that you will get at least three times as much money selling roast pig at the festival as everyone will be willing to buy it for more than they would in Kokoto." Lucia tilted her head to the side. "I thought merchants would know this."

The old woman wasn't exactly angry or even mad at Lucia (at least she didn't show it). She looked frustrated though and she didn't seem to like how Lucia had tied her down but now she had no choice but to go through with it.

"Is that so? Well, then I guess it should be worth it, no? I'll go see to it now. Do try and pick it up will you?" The old woman said as she walked away from them and into the Outpost.

"Even if we didn't, you'd still get your money back." Lucia said once last time. She relax for a second, watching the old lady head into the building. "Let's go wake Corr. We're gonna need him for this Quest."

Max shrugged slightly. "I still don't know how you do it but you always find a way to get people to do things your way. Don't you ever trust them?"

She stood silent momentarily before replying, "Not really." As she walked in as well, leaving Max to follow after her.

* * *

It was light inside, lighter than the previous day. The exit to the back of the building let in a lot more sunlight in early hours so it was to be expected. As soon as the duo walked in, they saw a group of hunters having breakfast at the table. Among them was Corr who was talking to a blond, muscular boy that was about his age. They seemed to be discussing something when Max walked up to them.

"No, no, no. There's no way he could've cleaved a Ceadeus' horn in one go. It just isn't possible, even with a Greatsword." Dismissed the blonde boy. "Where did you hear- Huh? Max?" The boy stood up with a large smile in his face once he noticed Max's presence. "Ha! Max! I heard you passed the Exam! How was it?"

"It was great, Drew. Corr here helped us pass it with next to no problems. We even got an 'S' though I need to talk to you about that." He sat down next to Drew's seat and Lucia sat next to Corr opposite to them. "So, do you guys know each other?"

"Wha- Really? He's with you? That's nice! Oh, and no, we just met." Drew scratched his head in thought. "So are you guys going on a Quest today? I feel like killing something today. You can tell me all about that 'S' rank later, once we finish."

Psychotic comment aside, everyone agreed it was a good idea to go together so, once everyone had eaten something (Max had a quick meal to fill up his near empty stomach), they decided to gear up and go for it. Max and Lucia explained the circumstances of today's Quest and, surely enough, no one raised any objections to eating salted pork the next day so they were soon wearing their leather, Mafumofu and Giaprey armors inside the Outpost with their weapons of choice at their side. Interestingly enough, Drew had chosen to bring along his Twin Flames set of Rathalos and Rathian Dualswords which were, essentially, his babies and rightfully so.

Dualswords didn't require as many materials to craft given their small size but, in the right hands, they were easily the most devastating damage-dealers with very good mobility to boot since other hunters that carried weapons such as Greatswords and Lances were severely handicapped in terms of how easily they could move. Drew's well developed body was sure to be strong enough to wield heavier weapons but maybe his bet was in blending strength with agility. Not a bad plan.

* * *

Some hours later, away at the base of the Snowy Mountains, the group prepared for the hunt to begin as they arrived at the campsite. Sadly, the driver hadn't been the same as last time and neither had the Guild receptionist. Max was still daydreaming about the girl they had met the previous night, Celia. _She had been rather nice… and rather pretty as well._

"Now, Max. Tell me about your Exam. We've got plenty of time to finish this while you talk." Drew said as he took a sip from his bottle of special hot tea, courtesy of the Guild supplies they had at their disposal today. Two gulps were enough to keep you warm for a few hours while the whole bottle easily lasted for half a day if drank in careful measures. Hunters were given several of these for each Quest depending on the Quest's length.

"Well," started Corr as he took a sip from his own bottle. "Technically, we managed to score an 'A' but, for some reason, the old man that drove back home decided to tell the Guild we had been delayed by a lack of available spots for the Exam. No idea why he said so but I guess he must've had his reasons."

"Ah, that's… certainly weird. So he hasn't spoken to you since then?" Getting a negative head-shake from the trio he sighed. "Then I guess you'll just have to wait until he does."

He stopped talking so he could focus on going down a muddy slope. The group could see the mountain's peak away in the distance, hiding among the trees. It was a silver world of natural beauty and light. At the foot of the mountain, they could see a grassy area with a cave and a nearby lake, where they spotted Popos drinking water.

It was extremely odd for Max, actually, almost perplexing to see the Popos in their wild habitat. He had always seen them only inside the village where they always carried a leash around with them or pulled carts. Out here in the field he saw them not only 'naked' but also with slightly dirty fur which was also messy and dusty. It was fascinating. They seemed like entirely different animals from what he knew.

As was to be expected from Nature, the things that inhabit the mountain climate have adapted quite well by becoming sturdy enough to withstand the cold. The Popos were the obvious paradigm of this concept as they were heavy, furred mammals much like the Bulldrome itself.

The Snowy Mountains are the closest area to Pokke Village, hence the lower rank and easier missions taking place in them. Most of the area and all of its caverns are freezing cold, so precautions in the form of the Mafumofu and hot drinks must be taken to control bodily temperature and, even with these amazing items, hunters were know to get lost or stuck in the mountain blizzards that frequently stormed the mountain's peak.

Once the group got to the lake area a few yards ahead, it became clear that there would be a lot of climbing involved with reaching their objective.

"Are you sure the Bulldrome lives in the mountain summit? It sounds kind of… ridiculous." Corr asked Drew as he looked up the massive mountain ahead of them. "I mean, what kind of vegetation could he possibly find up there? In the cold?"

Drew sighed lightly before patiently explaining, "I am not entirely sure. The old woman who put up the contract said she wanted a quick kill or capture so the Guild sent us here and, according to the info I've gathered for the last few months, there are times when, for reasons we do not understand, Bulldrome appear without a herd, out here in the Snowy Mountains, alone in the summit. Nobody knows why."

"That's kind of curious isn't it? Why would they come up here?" Max asked.

"I have a theory," Continued Drew. "That these lone Bulldromes are as a matter of fact former leaders who have lost their title to a younger male and were thus consequentially banished from their herd. Then, homeless and lonely, they come here to try and adapt to the harsh region where they might have to live for their entire lives."

The group simultaneously stopped for a second to look up again as each of them rethought what they were setting out to do. Max thought it was a sad end for even such a dangerous monster as a Bulldrome but he knew there was nothing he could do against the way things were. It was a harsh world he lived in and survival was the priority. There was plenty of compassion in him but it was the natural cycle of things for hunter to fight monster. These beasts could kill a man easily and they wouldn't hesitate on it (not to mention how quickly they bred, thus eliminating all chances of extinction).

"It's either him or us and we don't really have a choice. We're hunters. He's lived long enough and it's well past the time for him to go." Lucia said as she entered the cave next to them (which they knew would lead to the heart of the mountain's network of passages). Then they heard her voice echoing the words, "No king lives forever."

* * *

**Post-chapter Note: **Starting college right now so updates might take more time. Anyway, hope you enjoyed it and thanks for reading.


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